"AS IT WAS IN THE BEGINNING"
I said that the day was not altogether lost, but, alas! it was not
yet over. We were sitting in the garden after the cold supper always
served in lieu of dinner on Sunday evenings. John was smoking his
pipe and all was peaceful when a man sitting near us suddenly turned
to John and said: "I saw you in the cathedral this morning, but as
you left hurriedly I feared you might be ill. I hope not."
Why can't John be good all the time? Or, if that is not possible,
why can't he tell a lie? Surely the latter would have been better
than to blurt out: "No, thank you. I was quite well, but when I
found the talk was to be about Jael, I thought it best to take my
wife out. I don't think Jael is a proper person to be spoken about
in the presence of decent people."
"God bless me!" exclaimed the other, "how extraordinary!"
Fortunately, at that moment the man in charge of the garage appeared
with the information that he had succeeded in getting the distilled
water needed for the batteries, as the chemist's shop was now open,
and John departed with him to see to dropping it in.
There was a long silence, and then the stranger said: "Are you an
American?"