and then for a while your conversation is mostly
common-place, such as, "Well, how have you been getting on all this
time, Tom?" "Oh, all right. How have you been getting on?" and so on.

But presently, and perhaps just as you have made up your mind to chance
the alleged temperance business and ask Tom in to have a drink, he
throws a glance up and down the street, nudges your shoulder, says "Come
on," and disappears sideways into a pub.

. . . . .

"What's yours, Tom?" "What's yours, Joe?" "The same for me." "Well,
here's luck, old man." "Here's luck." You take a drink, and look over
your glass at Tom. Then the old smile spreads over his face, and it
makes you glad--you could swear to Tom's grin in a hundred years. Then
something tickles him--your expression, perhaps, or a recollection of
the past--and he sets down his glass on the bar and laughs. Then you
laugh. Oh, there's no smile like the smile that old mates favour each
other with over the tops of their glasses when they meet again after
years. It is eloquent, because of the memories that give it birth.

"Here's another. Do you remember----? Do you remember----?" Oh, it all
comes back again like a flash. Tom hasn't changed a bit; just the same
good-hearted, jolly idiot he always was. Old times back again! "It's
just like old times," says Tom, after three or four more drinks.

. . . . .

And so you make a night of it and get uproariously jolly. You get as
"glorious" as Bobby Burns did in the part of Tam O'Shanter, and have a
better "time" than any of the times you had in the old days. And you see
Tom as nearly home in the morning as you dare, and he reckons he'll get
it hot from his people--which no doubt he will--and he explains that
they are very particular up at home--church people, you know--and, of
course, especially if he's married, it's understood between you that
you'd better not call for him up at home after this--at least, not till
things have cooled down a bit. It's always the way. The friend of the
husband always gets the blame in cases like this. But Tom fixes up a
yarn to tell them, and you aren't to "say anything different" in case
you run against any of them. And he fixes up an appointment with you for
next Saturday night, and he'll get there if he gets divorced for it.
But he MIGHT have to take the wife out shopping, or one of the girls
somewhere; and if you see her with him you've got to lay low, and be
careful, and wa