"Yes," I assented. "I am told it's very like your Shropshire."

     "Not in the least like it," said Drummle.

     Here Mr. Drummle looked at his boots and I looked at mine, and then Mr. Drummle looked at my boots, and I looked at his.

     "Have you been here long?" I asked, determined not to yield an inch of the fire.

     "Long enough to be tired of it," returned Drummle, pretending to yawn, but equally determined.

     "Do you stay here long?"

     "Can't say," answered Mr. Drummle. "Do you?"

     "Can't say," said I.

     I felt here, through a tingling in my blood, that if Mr. Drummle's shoulder had claimed another hair's breadth of room, I should have jerked him into the window; equally, that if my own shoulder had urged a similar claim, Mr. Drummle would have jerked me into the nearest box. He whistled a little. So did I.

     "Large tract of marshes about here, I believe?" said Drummle.

     "Yes. What of that?" said I.