Quartus would have followed suit had I not plucked the gun from his hand
and unloaded it to prevent further mischief. In unloading it I fear
that one of the slugs blew a hole in brother Nonus. Seeing that there
was a chance of further disagreements aboard the vessel, I at once
decided to leave her, in doing which I was forced to kick off my
beautiful jack-boots, which were said by Vanseddars himself to be
he finest pair that ever went out of his shop, square-toed,
double-soled--alas! alas!'

'Strange that you should have been picked up by the son of the very man
to whom you had a letter.'

'The working of Providence,' Saxon answered. 'I have two-and-twenty
other letters which must all be delivered by hand. If you will permit
me to use your house for a while, I shall make it my headquarters.'

'Use it as though it were your own,' said my father.

'Your most grateful servant, sir,' he cried, jumping up and bowing with
his hand over his heart. 'This is indeed a haven of rest after the
ungodly and profane company of my brothers. Shall we then put up a
hymn, and retire from the business of the day?'

My father willingly agreed, and we sang 'Oh, happy land!' after which
our visitor followed me to his room, bearing with him the unfinished
bottle of usquebaugh which my mother had left on the table. He took it
with him, he explained, as a precaution against Persian ague, contracted
while battling against the Ottoman, and liable to recur at strange
moments. I left him in our best spare bedroom, and returned to my
father, who was still seated, heavy with thought, in his old corner.