"Myself, for instance," laughed Essington. "Well,
what do you suggest?"

"First, zat you dine mit me to-night. No, I vill take
no refusal! Listen! I am now meeting a distinguished
person on important international business--do you
pairceive? Ha, ha, ha! To-night it vill be necessary
ve most dine togezzer. I have an engagement, but he
can be put off for soch a great person as the man I am
now meeting at ze club! You vill gom?"

"I should have been delighted--only unluckily I have
a man dining with me. I tell you what! You come and
join us! Will you?"

"If zat is ze only vay--yes, mit pleasure! Who is
ze man?"

"Young Tulliwuddle. Do you remember going to a
dance at Lord Tulliwuddle's, some five and a half years
ago?"

"Himmel! Ha, ha! Vell do I remember!"

"Well, our host of that evening died the other day,
and this fellow is his heir--a second or third cousin whose
existence was so displeasing to the old peer that he left
him absolutely nothing that wasn't entailed, and never
said 'How-do-you-do?' to him in his life. In
consequence, he may not entertain you as much as I should