ve
been at the spirits!"

"Tell you I haven't!" roared Jerry, indignantly. "It's taking a man's
character away, sir!"

"Then what do you mean by seizing me like this?"

"I heard a noise, sir--I thought you'd been losing money all night to
Mr Frayne, sir, and that you'd shot yourself, sir--with your pistol,
sir. Ain't yer, sir?"

"I shot myself? Pistol? Why, Brigley, you must be tipsy!"

"Which I ain't, sir; indeed, I ain't!" protested Jerry. "But are you
really all right, sir? I heered a horful bang."

"I'm so stupidly confused and sleepy, I hardly know," said Lacey. "I
suppose I must have rolled off the bed."

"Then you ain't hurt, sir?"

"Not that I know of."

"But something went off, sir."

"Soda-water."

"Oh, no, sir; hundred times as loud as that."

"Never mind. I'm thirsty. Bring me some."

"Yes, sir; directly, sir," cried Jerry, and he hurried out into the
lobby, to come back in a minute with a glass of the sparkling
anti-feverish water, to find the lieutenant bathing his face.

"Hah, that's refreshing!" said Lacey, returning the glass to the waiter
Jerry held in his trembling hands. "Why, you look as if you had seen a
ghost, Brigley!"

"I thought I was going to see one, sir--yours! And you ain't hurt a
bit?"

"It's quite bad enough to have to be shot by other people, Brigley,
without trying to hurt oneself. But how came you to think such a
thing?"

"Well, sir--I--"

"Well, you what?"

"--Have heered of such things, sir, with gents--as has been in great
trouble, sir--as lost a deal o' money, sir."

Lacey frowned.

"Ever been with a gentleman who did such a thing?"

"Well, yes, sir--almost, sir--not exactly, sir; but I thought he had,
sir."

"That's a nice clear way of expressing yourself. Well, don't run away
with that idea, again. I don't like to be snatched out of my sleep in
that fashion. What time is it? Morning gun fired?"

Jerry's jaw dropped, and he stood staring over the empty soda-water
glass.

"I said had the morning gun been fired!" remarked Lacey, sharply.

Jerry's face began to wrinkle all over, and there was a peculiar twinkle
in his eyes as they met his master's.

"Yes, sir, the gun's gone off a quarter of a hour ago."

"There, be off! Call me in time to dress for parade."

"Yes, sir; of course, sir. Very sorry, sir. My mistake, sir. But
don't you see how it was?"

"No; I'm too sleepy to see anything; but don't make any more such
mista