“Claret for lunch, usually, or beer. Beer or claret at my dinner. Liqueur with my coffee....”

“Not so fast, please, not so fast! Yes, coffee.... How much?”

“Oh! A cup.”

“I mean” (more severely), “how much claret, how much liqueur?”

Mr. Petre considered.

“Say a bottle. Liqueur, oh, well a glass.”

The pen scribbled away furiously.

“For how long?” asked the writer.

“Since April 3rd, just after noon.”

“And before that...?”