“Stay,--I have a memorandum here,” said Paul, opening his little note-book. “Four, with London post-marks, to Captain Christopher; two from Brussels for the same; a large packet for the Hon. Annesley Beecher. That's the whole list.” “I got these!” said Grog, gruffly; “but why, might I ask, could you not have kept sober till you got back here?” “He who dashes his enthusiasm with caution, waters the liquor of life. How do we soar above the common ills of existence save by yielding to those glorious impulses of the heart, which say, 'Be happy!'” “Keep the sermon for the cripples at the water-cure,” said Davis, savagely. “When are you to be there?” “By the end of the month. I mentioned the time myself. It would be as soon, I thought, as I could manage to have my divinity library out from England.” The sly drollery of his eye, as he spoke, almost extorted a half-smile from Davis. “Let me see,” muttered Grog, as he arose and lighted his cigar, “we are, to-day, the 21st, I believe. No, you can't be there so early. I shall need you somewhere about the first week in October; it might chance to be earlier. You mustn't remain here, however, in the interval. You'll have to find some place in the neighborhood, about fifteen or twenty miles off.” “There's Höchst, on the Lahn, a pleasant spot, eighteen miles from this.” “Höchst be it; but, mark me, no more of last night's doings.” “I pledge my word,” said Paul, solemnly. “Need I say, it is as good as my bond?” “About the same, I suspect; but I 'll give you _mine_ too,” said Davis, with a fierce energy. “If by any low dissipation or indiscretion of yours you thwart the plans I am engaged in, I 'll leave you to starve out the rest of your life here.” “'So swear we all as liegemen true, So swear to live and die!'” cried out Paul, with a most theatrical air in voice and gesture. “You know a little of everything, I fancy,” said Davis, in a more good-humored tone. “What do you know of law?” “Of law?” said Paul, as he helped himself to a dish of smoking cutlets,--“if it be the law of debtor and creditor, false arrest, forcible possession, battery, or fraudulent bankruptcy, I am indifferently well skilled. Nor am I ignorant in divorce cases, separate maintenance, and right of guardianship. Equity, I should say, is my weak point.” “I believe you,” said Davis, with a grin, for he but imperfectly understood the speech. “But it is of another kind of law I 'm speaking. What do you know about disputed title to a peerage? Have you any experience in such cases?” “Yes; I have ransacked registries, rummaged out gravestones in my time. I very nearly burned my fingers, too, with a baptismal certificate that turned out to be--what shall I call it?--unauthentic!” “You forged it!” said Grog, gruffly. “They disputed its correctness, and, possibly, with some grounds for their opinion. Indeed,” added he, carelessly, “it was the first thing of the kind I had ever done, and it was slovenly--slovenly.”