There were three or four
old armchairs that looked as if they had been stolen out of the
Doge's Palace.
"Diffendorfer continued punching away at the fire until it burst into a
blaze.
"In another moment he was on his feet again, saying he had forgotten
something. Then he entered the next room--there were three in the
suite--unlocked a closet, brought back a mouldy-looking bottle and two
Venetian glasses, moved up a spider-legged, inlaid table, and said, as
he placed the bottle and glasses beside me:
"'That's the Valpocelli of '71. You needn't worry about helping
yourself; I've got a dozen bottles more.'
"I thought the game had gone far enough now, and I squared myself and
faced him.
"'See here, Mr. Diffendorfer,' I said, 'before I take your wine I've got
some questions to ask you. I'm going to ask them pretty straight, too,
and I want you to answer them exactly in the same way. You have followed
me round now for two weeks. You invite me to dinner--a man you have
never seen before--and when I come you sit like a bump on a log, and
half the time I can't get a word out of you.
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