"'Major,' tout court, if you please," Mr. Colt corrected him. "One drops the 'reverend' while actually on military duty."
"So? Ach, pardon!—I should haf known. . . Now Ze first is, we get ze angle of view, where to place our Grandt Standt so ze backgrount mek ze most pleasing pigture. At ze same time ze Standt must not tresbass—must not imbinge, hein?—upon our stage, our what-you-call-it area. Two t'ousand berformers—we haf not too mooch room. I will ask you, Mr. Major, first of all to let your men—zey haf tent-pegs, hein?—to let your men peg out ze area as I direct. Afterwards, with your leaf, you shall place z'em here—z'ere—in groups, zat I may see in some sort how ze groups combose, as we say. Himmel! what a backgroundt! Ze Cathedral, how it lifts over ze trees—Bar-fect! Now, if you will follow me a few paces to ze right, here… Ach! see yonder, by ze gate! Zat old man in ze red purple poncho—haf ze berformers already begon to aszemble zemselves?…"
Mr. Colt slewed his body about in the saddle.
"Eh?… Oh, that's Brother Copas, one of our Beauchamp Brethren. Mediaeval he looks, doesn't he? I assure you, sir, we keep the genuine article in Merchester."
"You haf old men dressed like zat?… My dear Julius, I see zis Bageant retty-made!"
"It was at St. Hospital—the almshouse for these old fellows—that the notion first came into my head."
"Sblendid!… We will haf a Brocession of them; or, it may be, a whole Ebisode.… Will you bid him come closer, Mr. Major, zat I may study ze costume in its detail?"
"Certainly." Mr. Colt beckoned to Brother Copas, who came forward still holding Corona by the hand. "Brother Copas, Mr. Isidore Bamberger here—brother of Our Member—desires to make your acquaintance."
"I am honoured," said Brother Copas politely.
"Ach, so!" burst in Mr. Isidore. "I was telling the major how moch I admire zat old costume of yours."