asked why we had not taken it in coming, and he replied that he had

thought it "too long and circuitous." To this I could say nothing,

but I concluded that that was not quite the correct reason; the truth

is that early that morning the young fellow had been helping to empty

some of the many wine bottles I saw around Brie, and consequently had

a little more "Dutch courage"--was a little more rash--than would

have been the case under other conditions.

I rode back to Brie by the "long and circuitous" route, and inquiring