ond I recognized the
architectural back, the handsomely rolled and faced blue coat and the
marble volutes of his Ionic shirt-collar: it was my good friend of the
cathedral. Every trace of his civic grief had disappeared, and he wore
a beaming banquet-room air, though the tear of patriotism was hardly
dry upon his cheek.

As I paused to dispose of my accoutrements the red nose was saying,
"Yes, my dear sir, since yesterday I am a Mason. I have the honor," he
pursued, "to be First Attendant Past Grand. It will be a great thing
for me at Edinburgh. Burns, I believe, was only Third Assistant,
Exterior Lodge: the Rank, however, in his opinion, was but the
guinea's stamp. But the advantages of Masonry are met with everywhere.
Already in the train last night I struck the acquaintance of a fine
fellow, a Mason like myself."

"Allow me to ask," said the cheerful bluebottle, "how you knew him for
a Mason like yourself?"

"I'll tell you. I was unable to sleep, because, you see, I had
to drink Moet for my initiation: as I am unaccustomed to anything
livelier than whisky, it unnerved me. To pass the time I went softly
over the signals."

"What signals, if I may be so indiscreet?"

"Number one, you scratch the nose, as if to chase a fly; number two,
you put your thumb in your mouth; number three--"

"H'm!" said the professor doubtfully, "those are singular
instructions, scratching the nose and sucking the thumb. It strikes
me they have been teaching you nursery signals rather than Masonry
signals."

[Illustration: BEER-GARDEN OF THE DAUPHIN.]

"My good friend," said the Scot with extreme politeness, yet not
without dignity, "you cannot understand it, because you were not
present. I received a Light which burned my eyelashes. The sage always
examines a mystery before he decides upon it. My Masonic friend will
be here at breakfast to-day: he promised me. Only wait for him. He
can explain these things better than I, you will see. The little
experiments with our noses and thumbs, you understand, are
symbols--Thummim and Urim, or something of that kind."

"Or else nonsense. You have been quizzed, I fear."

The North Briton bridled his head, knitted his brows and pushed back
his chair; then, after a moment of pregnant and stormy silence, he
turned suddenly around to me, who was enjoying the comedy--"Hand me
the cheese."

To be taken for a waiter amused me. Never in the world would a
domestic have dared to present himself in