"The very hacme of a gentleman, sir!"

"Kind of you, Brimberly, but I know myself for an absolutely useless
thing--a purposeless, ambitionless wretch, drifting on to God knows
what. I'm a hopeless wreck, a moral derelict, and it has only occurred
to me to-night--but"--and here the speaker paused to flick the ash from
his cigar--"I fear I'm boring you?"

"No, sir--ho, no, not at all, indeed, sir!"

"You're very kind, Brimberly--light a cigarette! Ah, no, pardon me, you
prefer my cigars, I know."

"Why--why, sir--" stammered Mr. Brimberly, laying a soothing hand upon
his twitching whisker, "indeed, I--I--"

"Oh--help yourself, pray!"

Hereupon Mr. Brimberly took a cigar very much at random, and, while
Young R. watched with lazy interest, proceeded to cut it--though with
singularly clumsy fingers.

"A light, Mr. Brimberly--allow me!"

So Ravenslee held the light while Mr. Brimberly puffed his cigar to a
glow, though to be sure he coughed once and choked, as he met Young R.'s
calm grey eye.

"Now," pursued his master, "if you're quite comfortable, Mr. Brimberly,