“By-the-way,” said Corduroy, “as you are an American, perhaps you can tell me why an old story or joke is called a chestnut in your country. It may be very funny—in fact, it must be, as it is American. But I don’t tumble to it, as yet. Ha! ha!”
For the honor of my country, I would have liked to clear up the great chestnut mystery to this delightful young Englishman. I had heard some accounts of the origin of the word in its application to threadbare anecdotes and moldy conundrums, but they were all unsatisfactory. “I am sorry I can not answer your question,” said I, at length; “but I can give you points on the chestnut-bell.”
Corduroy was all ears while I explained to him the construction of the little instrument which had already worked so useful a reform in the clubs of my country.
“Well, well,” he cried, “American inventions are truly wonderful. And this chestnut-bell beats them all. Ha! ha! I’m so glad I met you this morning! I’ll have a chestnut-bell made according to your description of it down at Interlaken by a metal-worker I know there. It’s just what we have long wanted. You see, some of our fellows don’t climb any new mountains. They keep telling all about the old mountains they climbed years ago. Now, I just want to shut ’em up. And the chestnut-bell is the thing to do it. Ha! ha!” And Corduroy roared with delight.
“All right,” said I; “but as the chestnut-bell is the latest thing out in my country, let me offer you a piece of advice.”
“What is it?” asked Corduroy, eagerly.
“It is this: Don’t give it away.”
“I see—I see. You mean I must keep this idea of a chestnut-bell to myself, so as to get the start of all the other fellows. How very expressive! Give away. Ha! ha!”
I was about to make some other valuable suggestion on the subject, when I saw among the group which then filled the open doorway a slight figure beckoning to me quite earnestly. When that small hand is gesticulated in that peculiar way, I do not pretend not to see it. Experience has taught me that it is much easier to answer the summons in person at once than to explain later on why I did not do so. I said “Ta! ta!” to Corduroy, and moved toward the house.