EVERYTHING promised well for my week-end with Charles. The weather
was warm and sunny, I was bringing my golf clubs down with me, and I
had just discovered (and meant to put into practice) an entirely new
stance which made it impossible to miss the object ball. It was this
that I was explaining to Charles and his wife at dinner on Friday,
when the interruption occurred.
"By the way," said Charles, as I took out a cigarette, "I've got a
cigar for you. Don't smoke that thing."
"You haven't let him go in for cigars?" I said reproachfully to Mrs
Charles. I can be very firm about other people's extravagances.
"This is one I picked up in Portugal," explained Charles. "You can
get them absurdly cheap out there. Let's see, dear; where did I put
it?"
"I saw it on your dressing-table last week," said his wife, getting
up to leave us. He followed her out and went in search of it, while
I waited with an interest which I made no effort to conceal. I had
never heard before of a man going all the way to Portugal to buy one
cigar for a friend.
"Here it is," said Charles, coming in again. He put down in front of
me an ash-tray, the matches and a--and a--well, as I say, a cigar. I
examined it slowly. Half of it looked very tired.
"Well," said Charles, "what do you think of it?"
"When you say you--er--PICKED IT UP in Portugal," I began carefully,
"I suppose you don't mean--" I stopped and tried to bite the end
off.
"Have a knife," said Charles.