7 6 CONVERSATIONAL HINTS 



he is never happy until the ladies appear. Then 

 he is in his element, explaining to them the com- 

 plexities of his gun, the tricks by which (in fancy) 

 a rocketing pheasant may be brought to bag, and 

 buzzing into their ears all the little frivolities which 

 he keeps in constant readiness at the end of his 

 indefatigable tongue. But on the day of which I 

 speak poor little Chif was off-colour. His sallies 

 were infrequent, gloom was throned upon his fore- 

 head. He felt that I had my eye on him, and was 

 torn between his prospective delight at appearing 

 in print, and the agonised desire to utter sayings 

 worthy of his reputation. The ladies whom he 

 invited one after another to walk with him, or to 

 stand by his side while he waited for the driven birds, 

 found him but a dull companion, and wondered 

 what could have happened to dash the spirits of 

 dear Mr. Chifney. I alone knew, and I congratu- 

 lated myself modestly, but not without enthusiasm, 

 upon having helped to silence even for a day this 

 ridiculous little pretence at being a man. Great, 

 indeed, are the influences of the pen, and mighty 

 is the power of the press when even a Chifney has 

 to submit to it. We passed a peaceful evening, 



