In fact, of this part of her burden she never spoke, even to her bosom friend Miss Snagg; nor did she talk about it to the ladies of the Dante Club, nor did she make speeches on it to the members of the Women's Afternoon Art Society, nor to the Monday Bridge Club.
But the members of the Bridge Club and the Art Society and the Dante Club all talked about it among themselves.
Stated very simply, it was this: Mr.Rasselyer-Brown drank.

It was not meant that he was a drunkard or that he drank too much, or anything of that sort.

He drank.

That was all.
There was no excess about it.

Mr.Rasselyer-Brown, of course, began the day with an eye-opener--and after all, what alert man does not wish his eyes well open in the morning?
He followed it usually just before breakfast with a bracer--and what wiser precaution can a businessman take than to brace his breakfast?
On his way to business he generally had his motor stopped at the Grand Palaver for a moment, if it was a raw day, and dropped in and took something to keep out the damp.