Falchion's debtor. She replied that it was a debt she would be glad to
preserve unsettled for ever. After this pretty exchange of compliments,
the governor smiled, and offered her his arm to the door, where our 'char
a bans' awaited us.
So impressed was the bookmaker with the hospitable reception the governor
had given us, that he offered him his cigar-case with its contents, said
he hoped they would meet again, and asked his excellency if he thought of
coming to Australia. The governor declined the cigars graciously, ignored
the hoped-for pleasure of another meeting, and trusted that it might fall
to his lot to visit Australia some day. Thereupon the bookmaker insisted
on the aide-de-camp accepting the cigar-case, and gave him his
visiting-card. The aide-de-camp lost nothing by his good-humoured
acceptance, if he smoked, because, as I knew, the cigars were very good
indeed. Bookmakers, gamblers and Jews are good judges of tobacco. And the
governor's party lost nothing in dignity because, as the traps wheeled
away, they gave a polite little cheer for Mrs. Falchion. I, at first, was
fearful how Belle Treherne would regard the gaucheries of the bookmaker,
but I saw that he was rather an object of interest to her than otherwise;
for he was certainly amusing.
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