'Have you any other Delphic utterance?'
'Only this,' I said, 'that people who do not like being given the lie
should tell the truth.'
'May I be permitted to guess your Christian name, sir? Is it Martin,
perchance?'
'Yes,' I replied, 'and my surname is Tupper.' He then got up and laid
his hand on the _raconteur's_ shoulder, and said, 'Don't be a fool,
De Castro. When a man looks at another as the author of the
_Proverbial Philosophy_ is looking at you, he knows that he can use
his fists as well as his pen.'
'He gave me the lie. Didn't you hear?'
'I did, and I thought the gift as entirely gratuitous, _mon cher_,
as giving a scuttleful of coals to Newcastle.'
The anecdote-monger stood silent, quelled by this man's voice.
Then turning to me, the man of the musical voice said, 'I suppose you
know something about my friend Lady Sinfi?'
'I do,' I said, 'and I am Cyril Aylwin's kinsman, whom you call his
cousin, so perhaps, as every word your friend has said about Sinfi
Lovell and me is false, you will allow me to call him a liar.
Pages:
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403