Laxton, having had his breakfast, sat in a comfortable arm-chair and smoked, while Angus and his two guests proceeded with their meal under the vigilant eye of Johnnie Armstrong, who hovered around with an air of strong disapproval of breakfast at such a late hour of the day. "Well, Angus, old fellow," observed Laxton, when he had made himself at home with a pet meerschaum of his host's, "aren't you tired of civilization yet?" "Hardly?" replied Angus drily, "seeing that I've only had three weeks of it. What do you want to do now." "Try Africa--we'll get some elephant shooting." "Isn't that rather dangerous?" said Thambits mildly. "Dangerous!" echoed Laxton with contempt. "Pooh! nonsense--not a bit of it. Jolliest thing out. It's life, my boy--life!" "Yes, and on some occasions it's death, my boy--death," rejoined Angus with a laugh. "I have always heard," remarked Mr. Jiddy, who sat curled up on the edge of a chair like a white rabbit, "that there is no pleasure without an element of danger." "Who said there was," said Laxton, who hated Jiddy as a parasite and a milksop. "What do you know about danger?" "Nothing," replied Mr. Jiddy, who never took offence, being essentially milk and water in his nature, "but I've read a good deal about it." "Sunday-school books, I suppose?" said Laxton with a sneer. "'Little Henry and his Bearer' is about your style, I think." "I've read that book," observed Dolly with a gratified chuckle, "but it is rather a slow story isn't it?" "Not quite so rapid as Zola," said Otterburn, who was beginning to find both Thambits and his friend a trifle tiresome. "By-the-way, Laxton, have you read the 'Arabian Knights'?" "I have," said Dolly again, "in my schooldays!' "Oh, bosh!" returned Laxton with supreme contempt. "We're not talking of that." "Oh, no," chirruped Mr. Jiddy, delighted at knowing something, "it's the Arabian Knights with a 'K.'" "What on earth are the Arabian Nights with a K?" demanded Thambits blankly, whereupon both Angus and Laxton burst out laughing at the bewildered look on his face. "It's Gartney's book about Arabia," explained Angus, rising from the table and lighting a cigarette, his example being followed by his guests. "Oh, I've heard of it," said Thambits, complacently. "Billy Dolser tells me he does not think much of it." "Is Billy Dolser a judge?" asked Laxton, with great scorn. Thambits turned on him a look of mild reproach. "Of course! Why he's got a paper of his own." "Oh, that settles it!" returned Laxton, drily. "I thought myself it was a jolly good book, and written by a man who knew what he was talking about, but as that little blackguard Dolser hasn't been further East than Italy, he must be a capital judge of the book!" "Why do you call him a blackguard?" asked Jiddy, removing his cigarette.