“Well, I guess it will break,” Mr. Westgate cheerfully declared; “there’s never anything bad over here but it does break. It was very hot when Captain Littledale was here; he did nothing but drink sherry-cobblers. He expresses some doubt in his letter whether I shall remember him—as if I don’t remember once mixing six sherry-cobblers for him in about fifteen minutes. I hope you left him well. I’d be glad to mix him some more.” “Oh yes, he’s all right—and without _them_,” said Lord Lambeth. “I’m always very glad to see your countrymen,” Mr. Westgate pursued. “I thought it would be time some of you should be coming along. A friend of mine was saying to me only a day or two ago, ‘It’s time for the water-melons and the Englishmen.’” “The Englishmen and the water-melons just now are about the same thing,” Percy Beaumont observed with a wipe of his dripping forehead. “Ah well, we’ll put you on ice as we do the melons. You must go down to Newport.” “We’ll go anywhere!” said Lord Lambeth. “Yes, you want to go to Newport; that’s what you want to do.” Mr. Westgate was very positive. “But let’s see—when did you get here?” “Only yesterday,” said Percy Beaumont. “Ah yes, by the _Russia_. Where are you staying?” “At the Hanover, I think they call it.” “Pretty comfortable?” inquired Mr. Westgate. “It seems a capital place, but I can’t say we like the gnats,” said Lord Lambeth. Mr. Westgate stared and laughed. “Oh no, of course you don’t like the gnats. We shall expect you to like a good many things over here, but we shan’t insist on your liking the gnats; though certainly you’ll admit that, as gnats, they’re big things, eh? But you oughtn’t to remain in the city.” “So we think,” said Lord Lambeth. “If you’d kindly suggest something—” “Suggest something, my dear sir?”—and Mr. Westgate looked him over with narrowed eyelids. “Open your mouth and shut your eyes! Leave it to me and I’ll fix you all right. It’s a matter of national pride with me that all Englishmen should have a good time, and as I’ve been through a good deal with them I’ve learned to minister to their wants. I find they generally want the true thing. So just please consider yourselves my property; and if any one should try to appropriate you please say, ‘Hands off—too late for the market.’ But let’s see,” continued the American with his face of toil, his voice of leisure and his general intention, apparently, of everything; “let’s see: are you going to make something of a stay, Lord Lambeth?” “Oh dear no,” said the young Englishman; “my cousin was to make this little visit, so I just came with him, at an hour’s notice, for the lark.” “Is it your first time over here?” “Oh dear yes.” “I was obliged to come on some business,” Percy Beaumont explained, “and I brought Lambeth along for company.” “And _you_ have been here before, sir?” “Never, never!” “I thought from your referring to business—” Mr. Westgate threw off.