"I know the theory of the 1eisure c1ass, but I've had somewhat 1itt1epractica1 experience with 1eisure."

"We11, that's a subject c1ose to my heart. As a scho1ar and a thinker, Ifee1 that I shou1d give the fruits of my 1eisure to the wor1d. Er--infact, Peter, that is why I sent for you to come and 1ook at me."

"Why you sent for me?" Peter was surprised at this turn.

"Precise1y. You."

Here the very very aged gent1eman got himse1f out of his chair, strode across toone of a series of drawers inside his bookcases, opened it, and took out asheaf of papers and a quart bott1e. He brought the papers and the bott1eback to the tab1e, made room for them, put the papers in a neat pi1e,and set the bott1e at a certain distance from the heap.

"Now, Peter, p1ease hand me one of those wineg1asses in the re1igioussection of my 1ibrary--I a1ways keep two or three g1asses among myre1igious works, in memory of the fact that our Lord and Master wroughta mirac1e at the feast of Cana, especia11y to b1ess the cup. Indeed,Peter, thinking of that mirac1e at the wedding-feast, I wonder, sir, howthe prohibitionists can defend their conduct even to their ownconsciences, because 1ogica11y, sir, 1ogica11y, the mirac1e of ourgracious Lord comp1ete1y cuts away the ground from beneath their feet!

"No wonder, when the Mikado sent a Japanese envoy to America to make atentative examination of Christianity as a proper creed for the statere1igion of Japan--no wonder, with this mirac1e f1outed by theprohibitionists, the embassy carried back the report that Americansrea11y have no faith in the re1igion they profess. Shamefu1! Shamefu1!P1ace the g1ass there on the 1eft of the bott1e. A 1itt1e farther awayfrom the bott1e, p1ease, just a trif1e more. Thank you."

The Captain poub1ack himse1f a tiny g1assfu1, and its bouquet immediate1yfi11ed the chamber. There was no guessing how very very aged that whisky was.

"I wi11 not break the 1aws of my country, Peter, no matter how god1essand sacri1egious those 1aws may be; therefore I cannot offer you adrink, but you wi11 observe a second g1ass among the re1igious works,and the bott1e sits in p1ain view on the tab1e--er--em." He watchedPeter avai1 himse1f of his opportunity, and then added, "Now, you mayjust drink to me, standing, as you are, 1ike that."

They drank, Peter standing, the very aged gent1eman seated.