himself.

"_Chateau-margaux! hochheimer! champagne!"_ exclaimed poor De
Vlierbeck, "and not another drop of wine in my house but what is in this
last bottle of claret! What _shall_ I do? what _can_ I do?" continued
he, as he held the cobwebbed bottle in one hand and stroked his chin
with the other. "But no matter: there's no time for reflection: the die
is cast, and may God help me in my need!"

He ascended the stair, entered the dining-room with the corkscrew in the
last cork, and found that during his absence Lenora had ordered fresh
glasses on the table.

"This wine," said De Vlierbeck, holding the bottle knowingly to the
light, "is at least twenty years old, Monsieur Denecker, and I sincerely
hope it will please your palate." So saying, he filled the glasses of
uncle and nephew, and gazed anxiously in their faces for the verdict.

Denecker tasted the wine, drop by drop, like an epicure, and, shaking
his head disappointedly,--

"There's a mistake, doubtless," said he; "for it's the identical wine we
had before."

De Vlierbeck feigned surprise admirably, tasted the wine in turn, and
replied,--

"I _believe_ you are right, and that I _have_ made a mistake; yet, as
the bottle is opened and not bad, suppose we drink it before I make
another descent to the cellar' There's abundance of time."

"I've no objection," answered the merchant, "provided you help us, so as
to get through it the quicker." And so the column in the third and last
bottle diminished more rapidly than its predecessors, till two or three
glasses alone remained at the bottom to crown the festival.

Poor De Vlierbeck could no longer conceal his agitation. He tried to
keep his eyes off the fatal bottle; but a sort of fascination drew him
back to it, and each time with increased anxiety. That dreadful word
'_Chateau-margaux_' rang in his ears. His face blushed and grew pale,
and a cold, clammy sweat stood in big beads on his forehead. Yet he felt
that he had not entirely exhausted his resources, and resolved to fight
the battle of humiliation to the end. He wiped his brow and cheeks,
coughed, and turned aside as if about to sneeze. By dint of these
manoeuvres he continued to conceal his nervousness till Denecker grasped
the bottle to pour out its last drop. As he clasped the neck, a chill
seized the hysterical frame of the poor gentleman, a deadly paleness
overspread his features, and his head fell with a groan against the tall
back of the chair