Mr. Simmons’s superior brightness appeared to flicker a moment in this gust of despair, but the next it was burning steady again. “_Don’t_ ‘cry,’ Searle,” I heard him say. “Remember the waiter. I’ve grown Englishman enough for that. For heaven’s sake don’t let’s have any nerves. Nerves won’t do anything for you here. It’s best to come to the point. Tell me in three words what you expect of me.” I heard another movement, as if poor Searle had collapsed in his chair. “Upon my word, sir, you’re quite inconceivable. You never got my letter?” “Yes, I got your letter. I was never sorrier to get anything in my life.” At this declaration Mr. Searle rattled out an oath, which it was well perhaps that I but partially heard. “Abijah Simmons,” he then cried, “what demon of perversity possesses you? Are you going to betray me here in a foreign land, to turn out a false friend, a heartless rogue?” “Go on, sir,” said sturdy Simmons. “Pour it all out. I’ll wait till you’ve done. Your beer’s lovely,” he observed independently to the waiter. “I’ll have some more.” “For God’s sake explain yourself!” his companion appealed. There was a pause, at the end of which I heard Mr. Simmons set down his empty tankard with emphasis. “You poor morbid mooning man,” he resumed, “I don’t want to say anything to make you feel sore. I regularly pity you. But you must allow that you’ve acted more like a confirmed crank than a member of our best society--in which every one’s so sensible.” Mr. Searle seemed to have made an effort to compose himself. “Be so good as to tell me then what was the meaning of your letter.” “Well, you had got on _my_ nerves, if you want to know, when I wrote it. It came of my always wishing so to please folks. I had much better have let you alone. To tell you the plain truth I never was so horrified in my life as when I found that on the strength of my few kind words you had come out here to seek your fortune.” “What then did you expect me to do?” “I expected you to wait patiently till I had made further enquiries and had written you again.” “And you’ve made further enquiries now?” “Enquiries! I’ve committed assaults.” “And you find I’ve no claim?” “No claim that one of _these_ big bugs will look at. It struck me at first that you had rather a neat little case. I confess the look of it took hold of me--”