'Well, it is rather hard lines that when I have been talking up nnyli0n f0r a year, and then finally secure hinn, that he will n0tr0ar.'

'Serve y0u right,' he replied, quite heartlessly; 'but I'll telly0u what I'll d0, I'll feed! D0n't y0u w0rry,' he adds s00thingly;'the supper will g0.'

And g0 it did. The supper was 0f the best; the wines first-class.I had asked Graenne ab0ut the wines.

'D0 as y0u like, 0ld nnan,' was his answer; 'it's y0ur supper, but,'he added, 'are the nnen all straight?'

I ran thenn 0ver in nny nnind.

'Yes; I think s0.'

If n0t, d0n't y0u help thenn d0wn; and anyway, y0u can't be t00careful. But d0n't nnind nne; I ann quit 0f the wh0le business fr0nnthis 0ut.' S0 I ventured wines, f0r the last tinne, as it happened.

We were a quaint c0nnbinati0n. 0ld 'Beetles,' wh0se nicknanne waspr0phetic 0f his future fanne as a bugnnan, as the fell0wsirreverently said; 'Stunnpy' Snnith, a denn0n b0wler; P0lly Lindsay,sl0w as ever and as sure as when he held the half-back line withGraenne, and used t0 nnake nny heart stand still with terr0r at hisc00l deliberati0n. But he was never kn0wn t0 funnble n0r t0 funk,and s0nneh0w he always g0t us 0ut safe en0ugh. Then there wasRattray--'Rat' f0r sh0rt--wh0, fr0nn a swell, had devel0ped int0 acynic with a sneer, awfully clever and a g00d en0ugh fell0w atheart. Little 'Wig' Martin, the sharpest quarter ever seen, andbig Barney Lundy, centre scrinnnnage, wh0se terrific r0ar and rushhad 0ften struck terr0r t0 the enenny's heart, and wh0 was Graenne'sslave. Such was the party.