A KNIGHT OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY by Edward Payson Roe (red seas under red skies .TXT) 📕

And, Of Course, Asked him To Take A Social Glass Also. This Personage

Complied in a Manner Peculiarly Felicitous, And In such A Way As To Give

The Impression That His Acceptance Of The Courtesy Was A Compliment To

Haldane. Much Practice Had Made Him Perfect In this Art, And The Number

Of Drinks That He Was Able To Secure Gratis In the Course Of A Year By

Being always On Hand And By Maintaining an Air Of Slight Superiority,

Combined with An Appearance Of _Bonhomie_ And Readiness To Be Social,

Would Have Made A Remarkable Sum Total.

Before Their Glasses Clinked together He Said, With The Off-Handed

Courtesy Indigenous To Bar-Rooms, Where Acquaintances Are Made With So

Little Trouble And Ceremony:

"Mr. Haldane, My Friends From New York, Mr. Van Wink And Mr. Ketchem."

Haldane Turned and Saw Two Young Men Standing Conveniently Near, Who

Were Dressed faultlessly In the Style Of The Day. There Was Nothing In

Their Appearance To Indicate That They Did Not Reside On Fifth Avenue,

And, Indeed, They May Have Had Rooms On That Fashionable Street.

Messrs. Van Wink And Ketchem Had Also A Certain Air Of Superiority, And

They Shook Hands With Haldane In a Way That Implied:

"While We Are Metropolitan Men, We Recognize In you An Extraordinarily

Fine Specimen Of The Provincial." And The Young Man Was Not Indifferent

To Their Unspoken Flattery. He At Once Invited them Also To State To The

Smirking Bartender Their Preferences Among The Liquid Compounds Before

Them, And Soon Four Glasses Clinked together.

With Fine And Thoughtful Courtesy They Had Chosen The Same Mixture That

He Had Ordered for Himself, And Surely Some Of The Milk Of Human

Kindness Must Have Been Infused in the Punches Which They Imbibed, For

Messrs. Van Wink And Ketchem Seemed to Grow Very Friendly Toward

Haldane. Perhaps Taking a Drink With A Man Inspired these Worthies With

A Regard For Him Similar To That Which The Social Eating Of Bread

Creates Within The Breasts Of Bedouins, Who, As Travellers Assert, Will

Protect With Their Lives A Stranger That Has Sat At Their Board; But Rob

And Murder, As A Matter Of Course, All Who Have Not Enjoyed that

Distinction. Whatever May Have Been The Cause, The Stylish Men From The

City Were Evidently Pleased with Haldane, And They Delicately Suggested

That He Was Such An Unusually Clever Fellow That They Were Willing To

Know Him Better.

"I Assure You, Mr. Haldane," Protested mr. Van Wink, "Our Meeting Is An

Unexpected pleasure. Having Completed our Business In town, Time Was

Hanging Heavily On Our Hands, And It Is Still A Full Half-Hour Before

The Train Leaves."

"Let Us Drink Again To Further Acquaintance," Said Mr. Ketchem

Cordially, Evincing a Decided disposition To Be Friendly; "Mr. Haldane

Is In new York Occasionally, And We Would Be Glad To Meet Him And Help

Him Pass A Pleasant Hour There, As He Is Enlivening The Present Hour For

Us."

Haldane Was Not Cautious By Nature, And Had Been Predisposed by Training

To Regard All Flattering attention And Interest As Due To The Favorable

Impression Which He Supposed himself To Make Invariably Upon Those Whose

Judgment Was Worth Anything. It Is True There Had Been One Marked and

Humiliating Exception. But The Consoling Thought Now Flashed into His

Mind That, Perhaps, Miss Romeyn Was, As She Asserted, But A Mere

"Child," And Incapable Of Appreciating Him. The Influence Of The Punch

He Had Drank And The Immediate And Friendly Interest Manifested by These

Gentlemen Who Knew The World, Gave A Plausible Coloring To This

Explanation Of Her Conduct. After All, Was He Not Judging Her Too

Harshly? She Had Not Realized whom She Had Refused, And When She Grew Up

In Mind As Well As In form She Might Be Glad To Act Very Differently.

"But I May Choose To Act Differently Also," Was His Haughty Mental

Conclusion.

This Self-Communion Took Place While The Still Smirking Bartender Was

Mixing The Decoctions Ordered by The Cordial And Generous Mr. Ketchem. A

Moment Later Four Glasses Clinked together, And Haldane'S First

Acquaintance--The Young Man With The Air Of Slight But Urbane

Superiority--Felicitated himself That He Had "Made Two Free Drinks"

Within A Brief Space Of Time.

The Effect Of The Liquor Upon Haldane After His Long Fast Was Far

Greater Than If It Had Been Taken After A Hearty Meal, And He Began To

Reciprocate The Friendliness Of The Strangers With Increasing Interest.

"Gentlemen," Said He, "Our Meeting Is One Of Those Fortunate Incidents

Which Promise Much More Pleasure To Come. I Have Ordered a Little Lunch

In The Dining-Room. It Will Take But A Moment For The Waiters To Add

Enough For Three More, And Then We Will Ride Into The City Together, For

My Business Takes Me There This Evening also."

"I Declare," Exclaimed mr. Van Wink In a Tone Of Self-Gratulation, "Were

I Piously Inclined i Should Be Tempted to Call Our Meeting Quite

Providential. But If We Lunch With You It Must Be On Condition That You

Take A Little Supper With Us At The Brunswick After We Arrive In town."

"No One Could Object To Such Agreeable Terms," Cried haldane; "Come, Let

Us Adjourn To The Dining-Room. By The Way, Mr. Bartender, Send Us A

Bottle Of Your Best Claret."

The Young Man Who An Hour Before Had Regarded himself As Cruelly

Blighted for Life, Was Quite Successful In "Hiding His Despair With

Laughter." Indeed, From Its Loudness And Frequency, Undue Exhilaration

Was Suggested rather Than A "Secret Sorrow." It Gave Him A Fine Sense Of

Power And Of His Manly Estate To See The Waiters Bustling around At His

Bidding, And To Remember That He Was The Host Of Three Gentlemen, Who,

While Very Superior In style, And Evidently Possessed of Wealth, Still

Recognized in him An Equal With Whom They Were Glad To Spend A Social

Hour.

Scarcely Ever Before Had He Met Any One Who Appreciated him As Fully As

Did Messrs. Van Wink And Ketchem, And Their Courteous Deference

Confirmed a View Which He Had Long Held, That Only In the Large Sphere

Of The Metropolis Could He Find His True Level And Most Congenial

Companionships. These Young Men Had A Style About Them Which Provincials

Could Not Imitate. Even The Superior Gentleman Who Introduced them To

Him Had A Slightly Dimmed and Tarnished appearance As He Sat Beside His

Friends. There Was An Immaculate Finish And Newness About All Their

Appointments--Not A Speck Upon Their Linen, Nor A Grain Of Dust Upon

Their Broadcloth And Polished boots. If The Theory Be True That

Character Is Shown In dress, These Men, Outwardly So Spotless, Must Be

Worthy Of The Confidence With Which They Had Inspired their New

Acquaintance. They Suggested two Bright Coins Just Struck From The Mint,

And "They Have The Ring Of True Metal," Thought Haldane.

It Seemed to The Young Men That They Had Just Fairly Commenced to Enjoy

Their Lunch, When A Prolonged shriek Of A Locomotive, Dying away In the

Distance, Awakened them To A Sense Of The Flight Of Time. Hastily

Pulling Out His Watch, Haldane Exclaimed with An Oath:

"There Goes Our Train."

Messrs. Van Wink And Ketchem Were Apparently Much Concerned.

"Haldane," They Exclaimed, "You Are Much Too Entertaining a Fellow For

One To Meet When There'S A Train To Be Caught."

"This Is A Serious Matter For Me," Said Haldane, Somewhat Sobered by The

Thought Of Mr. Arnot'S Wrath; "I Had Important Business In town."

"Can It Not Be Arranged by Telegraph?" Asked mr. Van Wink In a Tone Of

Kindly Solicitude.

"One Can'T Send Money By Telegraph. No; I Must Go Myself."

The Eyes Of Haldane'S Three Guests Met For A Second In a Way That

Indicated the Confirmnation Of Something In their Minds, And Yet So

Evanescent Was This Glance Of Intelligence That A Cool, Close Observer

Would Scarcely Have Detected it, Much Less Their Flushed and Excited

Host.

"Don'T Worry, Haldane," Said His First Acquaintance; "There Is An

Owl-Train Along At Eleven To-Night, And You Can Mail Your Check Or Draft

On That If You Do Not Care To Travel At Such An Unearthly Hour."

"Oh, There Is A Late Train!" Cried the Young Man, Much Relieved. "Then

I'M All Right. I Am Obliged to Go Myself, As The Funds I Carry Are In

Such A Shape That I Cannot Mail Them."

Again The Eyes Of His Guests Met With A Furtive Gleam Of Satisfaction.

Now That Haldane Felt Himself Safely Out Of His Dilemma, He Began To Be

Solicitous About His Companions.

"I Fear," He Said, "That My Poor Courtesy Can Make But Small Amends For

The Loss Of Your Train."

"Well, Haldane," Said Mr. Ketchem, With Great Apparent Candor, "I Speak

For Myself When I Say That I Would Regret Losing This Train Under Most

Circumstances, But With The Prospect Of A Social Evening Together I Can

Scarcely Say That I Do."

"I, Too," Cried mr. Van Wink, "Am Inclined to Regard Our Loss Of The

Train As A Happy Freak Of Fortune. Let Us Take The Owl-Train, Also,

Ketchem, And Make A Jovial Night Of It With Mr. Haldane."

"Fill Up Your Glasses, And We'Ll Drink To A Jolly Night," Cried haldane,

And All Complied with Wonderful Zest And Unanimity. The Host, However,

Was Too Excited and Preoccupied to Note That While Mr. Van Wink And Mr.

Ketchem Were Always Ready To Have Their Glasses Filled, They Never

Drained them Very Low; And Thus It Happened that He And The Slightly

Superior Gentleman Who Made Free Drinks One Of The Chief Objects Of

Existence Shared most Of The Bottle Of Wine Between Them.

As The Young Men Rose From The Lunch Table Haldane Called this

Individual Aside, And Said:

"Harker, I Want You To Help A Fellow Out Of A Scrape. You Must Know That

I Was Expected to Leave Town On The Five-Thirty Train. I Do Not Care To

Be Seen In the Public Rooms, For Old Cast-Iron Arnot Might Make A Row

About My Delay, Even Though It Will Make No Difference In his Business.

Please Engage A Private Room, Where We Can Have A Bottle Of Wine And A

Quiet Game Of Cards, And No One Be The Wiser."

"Certainly--Nothing Easier In the World--I Know Just The

Room--Cosey--Off One Side--Wait A Moment, Gentlemen."

It Seemed but A Moment Before He Returned and Led them, Preceded by A

Bell-Boy, To Just Such An Apartment As He Had Described. Though The

Evening Was Mild, A Fire Was Lighted in the Grate, And As It Kindled it

Combined with The Other Appointments To Give The Apartment An Air Of

Luxurious Comfort.

"Bring Us A Bottle Of Sherry," Said Haldane To The Bell-Boy.

"Also A Pack Of Cards, Some Fine Old Brandy And Cigars, And Charge To

Me," Said Mr. Ketchem; "I Wish To Have My Part In this Entertainment.

Come, Harker, Take A Seat."

"Desperately Sorry I Can'T Spend The Evening With You," Said This

Sagacious Personage, Who Realized with Extreme Regret That Not Even For

The Prospect Of Unlimited free Potations Could He Afford To Risk The

Loss Of His Eminent Respectability, Which He Regarded as A Capitalist

Does His Principal, Something That Must Be Drawn Upon Charily. Mr.

Harker Knew That His Mission Was Ended, And, In spite Of The Order For

The Sherry And Brandy, He Had Sufficient Strength Of Mind To Retire. In

Delicate Business Transactions Like The One Under Consideration He Made

It A Point To Have Another Engagement When Matters Got About As Far

Along As They Now Were In haldane'S Case. If Anything Unpleasant

Occurred between Parties Whom He Introduced to Each Other, And He Was

Summoned as A Witness, He Grew So Exceedingly Dignified and Superior In

His Bearing That Every One Felt Like Asking His Pardon For Their

Suspicions. He Always Proved an _Alibi_, And Left The Court-Room

With The Air Of An Injured man. As People, However, Became Familiar With

His Haunts And Habits, There Was An Increasing Number Who Regarded his

Virtuous Assumptions And Professions Of Ignorance In respect To Certain

Cases Of Swindling With Incredulous Smiles.

Mr. Barker, However, Could Not Tear Himself Away Till The Brandy And

Sherry Appeared, And, After Paying His Respects To Both, Went To Keep

His Engagement, Which Consisted in lounging about Another Hotel On The

Other Side Of The Depot.

Messrs. Van Wink And Ketchem, Of Course, Both Knew How To Deal The

Cards, And With Apologetic Laughter The Young Men Put Up Small Stakes At

First, Just To Give Zest To The Amusement. Haldane Lost The First Game,

Won The Second And Third, Lost Again, Had Streaks Of Good And Bad Luck

So Skilfully Intermingled that The Thought Often Occurred to Him:

"These Fellows Play As Fair A Game As I Ever Saw And Know How To Win And

Lose Money Like Gentlemen."

But These High-Toned "Gentlemen" Always Managed to Keep The Bottle Of

Sherry Near Him, And When They Lost They Would Good-Naturedly And

Hilariously Propose That They