84 PODGERS' POINTER 



Come and breakfast with me at eiglit o'clock, as the 

 train starts from the King's Bridge Terminus at 

 nine o'clock. — Yours, 



" Benjamin B. Brown. 



" P.S. — I praised the dog sky high. O'E. is most 

 anxious to see him in front of the birds." 



I received a gushing note in reply, stating that 

 he would breakfast with me, and bring the dog, 

 adding, " It's some time since he was shot over ; 

 but that makes no difference, as he is the finest docj 

 in Leinster." 



Knowing Podgers to be a very punctual sort of 

 person, I had ordered breakfast for eight o'clock 

 sharp, and consequently felt somewhat surprised 

 when the timepiece chimed the quarter past. 



I consulted his letter — day, date, and time were 

 recapitulated in the most businesslike way. Some 

 accident might have detained him. Perhaps he 

 preferred meeting me at the station. I had arrived 

 at this conclusion, and had just made the first 

 incision into a round of buttered toast, when 

 a very loud, jerky, uneven knocking thundered 

 at the hall door, and the bell was tugged with 

 a violence that threatened to drag the handle 

 off. 



