"As far as the luggage is concerned," said Meldon, "you may just as well leave it here. There's no point in dragging a lot of trunks and fishing-rods down to the hotel when you'll simply have to drag them all back again. When you've heard what we have to say you'll take the next train home." "I don't expect I shall. In fact, I feel tolerably certain I shall go on. I'll take the luggage with me any how, in case I do." "You mustn't think," said Meldon, "that I'm suggesting your leaving the luggage behind simply in order to get a seat on your car." "I assure you," said the judge, "that such a suspicion never crossed my mind." "O'Donoghue and I both have bicycles, so we don't want to drive. He has his own, a capital machine, and I borrowed Doyle's this morning, which is quite sound except for the left pedal. It's a bit groggy, and came off twice on the way here." "That makes me all the more sorry I can't drive you down," said the judge, "but you see what a lot of things I have. I needn't say good-bye: we shall meet again at the hotel." Luncheon--chops and boiled potatoes--was served in the commercial room of the hotel. When the maid had gone away after supplying the three men with whisky and soda, Meldon laid down his knife and fork. "I may introduce my subject," he said, "by saying that I have a high respect for you. So has O'Donoghue. Haven't you, O'Donoghue?" "I have," said O'Donoghue. "Thanks," said the judge. "It's kind of you both to say that." "Not at all; it's the simple truth. I look up to you a good deal in your capacity of judge. Judge of the King's Bench, I think?" The judge nodded. "In order to make my position quite plain," said Meldon, "and to prevent any possibility of your thinking that I'm meddling with your affairs in an unwarrantable manner, I may add that I recognise in you one of the pillars of society, a bulwark of our civil and religious liberty, a mainstay of law and order. So does O'Donoghue." "I'm a Nationalist myself," said the doctor, who felt that he was being committed to sentiments which he could not entirely approve. "I'm speaking of Sir Gilbert as an English judge," said Meldon, "and the law and order I refer to are, so far as Sir Gilbert is concerned, purely English. Nothing that I am saying now compromises you in the slightest either with regard to the land question or Home Rule." "I didn't understand that at the time you spoke," said the doctor; "but if you don't mean any more than that I'm with you heart and soul." "You hear what he says," said Meldon to the judge. "I need scarcely say," replied Sir Gilbert, "that all this is immensely gratifying to me." "It won't surprise you now," said Meldon, "to hear that we look upon your life as a most valuable one--too valuable to be risked unnecessarily." "I should appreciate this entirely unsolicited testimonial," said the judge, "even more than I do already, if I knew exactly who was giving it to me."