“I don't s'pose I could,” ses Sam, “but I've a good mind to 'ave a try. If it's good for one teetotaller I don't see why it should hurt another.”

Mr. Goodman looked at 'im very hard, and then he ordered a whiskey and stood watching while Sam, arter pretending for a minnit to look at it as though 'e didn't know wot to do with it, took a sip and let it roll round 'is mouth.

“Well?” ses Mr. Goodman, looking at 'im anxious-like.

“It ain't so 'orrid as I 'ad fancied,” ses Sam, lapping up the rest very gentle.

[ [!-- IMG --]

“'Ave you 'ad enough to do you all the good it ought to?”

Mr. Goodman said that it was no good 'arf doing a thing, and p'r'aps he 'ad better 'ave one more; and arter Sam 'ad paid for the next two they went out arm-in-arm.

“'Ow cheerful everybody looks!” ses Mr. Goodman, smiling.

“They're going to amuse theirselves, I expect,” ses Sam—“music-'alls and such-like.”