re, but all in
good time."

Piers again listened to his impulse. He spoke hurriedly of the money he
had received, and hinted, suggested, made an embarrassed offer.
Impossible not to remark the gleam of joy that came into Alexander's
eyes; though he vehemently, almost angrily, declared such a thing
impossible, it was plain he quivered to accept. And in the end accept
he did--a round fifty pounds. A loan, strictly a loan, of course, the
most binding legal instrument should be given in acknowledgment of the
debt; interest should be paid at the rate of three and a half per cent.
per annum--not a doit less! And just when this was settled, Bridget
came back again, the sleepless baby at her breast.

"He wants to have his share of the good company," she exclaimed. "And
why shouldn't he, bless um!"

Alexander grew glorious. It was one of his peculiarities that, when he
had drunk more than enough, he broke into noisy patriotism.

"Piers, have you ever felt grateful enough for being born an
Englishman? I've seen the world, and I know; the Englishman is the top
of creation. When I say English, I mean all of us, English, Irish, or
Scotch. Give me an Englishman and an Irishwoman, and let all the rest
of the world go hang!--I've travelled, Piers, my boy. I've seen what
the great British race is doing the world round; and I'm that proud of
it I can't find words to express myself."

"I've seen something of other races," interposed Piers, lifting his
glass with unsteady hand, "and I don't think we've any right to despise
them."

"I don't exactly despise them, but I say, What are they compared with
us? A poor lot! A shabby lot!--I'm a journalist, Piers, and let me tell
you that we English newspaper men have the destiny of the world in our
hands. It makes me proud when I think of it. We guard the national
honour. Let any confounded foreigner insult England, and he has to
reckon with _us_. A word from _us_, and it means war, Piers, glorious
war, with triumphs for the race and for civilisation! England means
civilisation; the other nations don't count."

"Oh, come----"

"I tell you they don't count!" roared Alexander, his hair wild and his
beard ferocious. "You're not one of the muffs who want to keep England
little and tame, are you?"

"I think pretty much with father about these things."

"The old man! Oh, I'd forgotten the old man. But he's not of our time,
Piers; he's old-fashioned, though a good old man, I admit. No, no; we