passing his cigar-case. "The Indian cigars are not bad and very cheap.
The Beaconsfield is my favourite brand. But now and then one must smoke
something else for a change."

Heideck accepted with thanks, and now began a fairly good booze, in
which the Russian set the example. He was, however, evidently not so
proof against the effects of the tasty and strong drink as was the
German. With each minute he became more loquacious, and soon began to
address his new friend as "Dear old chap," and to narrate all manner of
more or less compromising stories. He also, induced by several adroit
questions on the part of Heideck, began to prate of his family affairs.
He mocked at an old aunt of his, who was wont to cover her hair with
roses the better to conceal bald spots, and added that this aunt was a
great favourite at the Court of the Tsar, on account of her incomparable
gossiping stories. It apparently never occurred to him that such
intimate family relations were a rather strange subject for conversation
in a commercial traveller.

In the course of his conversation he mentioned that not long before he
had been in China.

"We are too slow, dear chap, much too slow," he declared; "with fifty
thousand men we could take all that we want, and we ought to have
attacked those Japanese long since."

"Tell me, then," said Heideck, with apparent indifference, "how strong
really is the army of the Governor-General of Turkestan?"

The Russian looked up, but it was not because he was thinking what
answer to give; for, after having tossed off a glass of soda-water, he