The man, who had been reading, sprang to his feet, leaving his book wide open on the grass. He looked startled and angry, as well he might. But before he could say or do anything, Mr. Muller hastened forward to explain.
“I was not aiming at you, sir. I was going to fire at a large snake that just passed near me.”
“But you ought to be more careful,” replied the other. “If your gun had gone off you certainly would have hit me.”
“I am generally very careful,” said Mr. Muller; “but who in the world could have imagined that a man would be lying on the ground in this lonely spot?”
“That is true, perhaps,” said the other; “and, on my part, I never could have imagined that anybody would come to this lonely spot to shoot snakes. And may I ask, sir, what you are doing with my gun?”
“Your gun!” exclaimed Mr. Muller, and for a moment he seemed stupefied, and then his face began to shine as if it had been lighted up from inside. “Are you Mr. Godfrey Berkeley?” he cried.
“Yes, I am,” said the other, shortly.
Mr. Muller laughed aloud.
“Why, I have been wanting to find you for ever so long! And who could have supposed I would stumble on you here?”
Mr. Berkeley now seemed quite annoyed and angry.