"The fishing! oh!—yes!—well, that arranges itself. It is quite simple: we take one day, he takes the next."
"Tour à tour. Admirable! You English are the people for transactions! I must make the acquaintance of your so accommodating friend and neighbour. Is he—how shall I say it?—one of us?"
"No. He takes no part in affairs. He cultivates his estate. His call now is merely in way of friendship."
"Ah! that is indeed amiable. Parbleu, he has the look! And what is he doing in this country?"
Aglionby was growing restive under the cross-examination. He had the air of a witness who fears that he may be enticed into an admission against his will. But he had not the wit to fence with his visitor.
"Nothing," he replied curtly. "He comes with his son, that is in the army, and now joins his regiment."
"He has a son in the army? My dear friend, certainly you shall present me. I desire of all things to extend my acquaintance among your countrymen—in furtherance, it is understood, of my cause—of our cause, pardon me."
"I fear you will find little encouragement with him. He hates your countrymen as one hates a toad."
"The amiable man!"
Aglionby's constrained manner had betrayed him to his astute visitor, whose curiosity was now effectually aroused.