now for a stroll." He touched with his cane a large Newfoundland dog,
who lay stretched near his feet, and dog and man went slow through the
growing twilight, and over the brown dry turf. At length our solitary
paused, and threw himself on a bench under a tree. "Half-past eight!"
said he, looking at his watch, "one may smoke one's cigar without
shocking the world."

He took out his cigar-case, struck a light, and in another moment
reclined at length on the bench, seemed absorbed in regarding the smoke,
that scarce coloured ere it vanished into air.

"It is the most barefaced lie in the world, my Nero," said he, addressing
his dog, "this boasted liberty of man! Now, here am I, a free-born
Englishman, a citizen of the world, caring--I often say to myself--caring
not a jot for Kaiser or Mob; and yet I no more dare smoke this cigar in
the Park at half-past six, when all the world is abroad, than I dare pick
my Lord Chancellor's pocket, or hit the Archbishop of Canterbury a thump
on the nose. Yet no law in England forbids me my cigar, Nero! What is
law at half-past eight was not crime at six and a half! Britannia says,
'Man, thou art free, and she lies like a commonplace woman. O Nero,
Nero! you enviable dog! you serve but from liking. No thought of the
world costs you one wag of the tail. Your big heart and true instinct
suffice you for reason and law. You would want nothing to your felicity,
if in these moments of ennui you would but smoke a cigar. Try it, Nero!
--try it!" And, rising from his incumbent posture, he sought to force
the end of the weed between the teeth of the dog.

While thus gravely engaged, two figures had approached the place. The
one was a man who seemed weak and sickly. His threadbare coat was
buttoned to the chin, but hung large on his shrunken breast. The other