“Your perception does you credit,” he exclaimed.
“I see that you are a gentleman. And now let us drink together to celebrate our first meeting.”
“With all my heart!” I replied cordially.
I expected that he would ring the bell for madame, but instead of that he strode around the table to the sleeping stranger in the chair, and clapped him heavily on the shoulder. The man was roused instantly, and as he sprang to his feet I saw that he was tall and middle aged. His face was shrewd and intelligent, clean-shaven, and slightly wrinkled. He wore a white neck-cloth, antiquated coat and breeches of rusty black, and gray stockings with silver buckles at the knee; a cluster of seals dangled from his watch chain, and his fingers were long and white.
“What the devil do you mean by striking me, sir?” he demanded angrily.
“I merely gave you a tap,” Captain Rudstone replied coolly. “I wish you to join this gentleman and myself in a drink.”
“I have no desire to drink.”
“But I say you shall!”
“And I say I shall not. I am a man of peace, but by Heavens, sir, I will swallow no affront tamely.”
“I believe you are a spy—an emissary of the Northwest Company,” cried the captain; and I knew by his manner that he had really suspected the stranger from the first.