But try to imagine my pride when he promptly asked me in to have a drink.

I stood at the bar and drank a glass of beer with him, and talked manfully of oysters, and boats, and of the mystery of who had put the load of buckshot through the Annie's mainsail.
We talked and lingered at the bar.

It seemed to me strange that we lingered.

We had had our beer.

But who was I to lead the way outside when great Nelson chose to lean against the bar?
After a few minutes, to my surprise, he asked me to have another drink, which I did.