e vent
to a dry laugh.

"Well said! Well said, master! The jest is a merry one--call me a Jew
else!" Then, sobering as briskly as he had taken to laughing: "Will you
have a cup of sack, master, to settle the stomach after fasting--or a
drop of Canary or Xeres or a mug of ale, perchance----"

"That's right, by my halidom!" Droop broke in. "Bring me some ale,
waiter."

The drawer whisked away and returned in a few moments with a huge power
tankard topped with a snowy foam.

"That's the stuff!" said Droop, smacking his lips. He half-emptied the
beaker, and then, turning to the drawer:

"Can you tell me," he said, "if I can find a man by the name of Hart
here--Sir Percevall Hart?"

"Sir Percevall," said the drawer, in an undertone. "Why, there's your
man, master. The fat knight snoring by yon fire."

"What!" exclaimed Droop. "The man who--" He broke off and stared awhile
in silence. Finally, shaking his head: "Never would have thought it!" he
said.

Copernicus lapsed into meditation and the drawer withdrew. At length
Droop roused himself with a shake.

"Won't do no good to set here doin' nothin'," he muttered. Then,
swallowing the remainder of his ale, he drew his letter of introduction
from his pocket and walked back to the fireplace.

The knight, who was not sleeping very soundly, slightly opened one eye,
and to his surprise, beheld a letter which Droop held almost under his
nose.

Sitting up straight and now fully awake, Sir Percevall stared first at
Copernicus and then at the letter.

"A letter!" he exclaimed. "For me?"

"Verily, yea," Droop replied, very politely.

The knight opened the letter slowly and turned so that the light from a
window fell full upon it.

"What's here!" he exclaimed. "This direction is to my Lord Burleigh."

"Yep--oh, yes, yea!" said Droop, confusedly. "But you was to read
it--peruse it, you wot--Bacon said as much. He said you knew the lord
and could take me around, forsooth, and sorter interduce me, ye see."

With leisurely gravity, Sir Percevall slowly read the note, and then,
returning it with a polite gesture:

"This letter hath reference to certain monopolies," he said. "My cousin
Bacon doth write in high terms of your skill and high merit,
Master--Master----"

"Droop, sir. Copernicus Droop's my name."

"Ah, yes! And the service you require--? I beg your indulgence, but,
sooth to say, being nigh starved of late in this tavern of ill repute,
my poor wits have gro