and then James left the room, and there
was silence for a while, during which the bottles made their round of
the table.

"Hadn't we better send back the pint of wine which Mr. Dockwrath
hasn't used?" suggested Kantwise.

"I'm d---- if we do!" replied Moulder, with much energy; and the
general silence was not again broken till Mr. Crump made his
appearance; but the chairman whispered a private word or two to his
friend Snengkeld. "I never sent back ordered liquor to the bar yet,
unless it was bad; and I'm not going to begin now."

And then Mr. Crump came in. Mr. Crump was a very clean-looking
person, without any beard; and dressed from head to foot in black. He
was about fifty, with grizzly gray hair, which stood upright on his
head, and his face at the present moment wore on it an innkeeper's
smile. But it could also assume an innkeeper's frown, and on
occasions did so--when bills were disputed, or unreasonable strangers
thought that they knew the distance in posting miles round the
neighbourhood of Leeds better than did he, Mr. Crump, who had lived
at the Bull Inn all his life. But Mr. Crump rarely frowned on
commercial gentlemen, from whom was derived the main stay of his
business and the main prop of his house.

"Mr. Crump," began Moulder, "here has occurred a very unpleasant
transaction."

"I know all about it, gentlemen," said Mr. Crump. "The waiter has
acquainted me, and I can assure you, gentlemen, that I am extremely
sorry that anything should have arisen to disturb the harmony of your
dinner-table."

"We must now call upon you, Mr. Crump," began Mr. Moulder, who was
about to demand that Dockwrath should be turned bodily out of the
room.

"If you'll allow me one moment, Mr. Moulder," continued Mr. Crump,
"and I'll tell you what is my suggestion. The gentleman here, who I
understand is a lawyer, does not wish to comply with the rules of the
commercial room."

"I certainly don't wish or intend to pay for drink that I didn't
order and haven't had," said Dockwrath.

"Exactly," said Mr. Crump. "And therefore, gentlemen, to get out of
the difficulty, we'll presume, if you please, that the bill is paid."

"The lawyer, as you call him, will have to leave the room," said
Moulder.

"Perhaps he will not object to step over to the coffee-room on the
other side," suggested the landlord.

"I can't think of leaving my seat here under such circumstances,"
said Dockwrath.

"You can't," said Moulder. "Then y