Or, perhaps," he added, as though by an afterthought, "he may know too much, and not be able to help; which would be painful, very painful." "Don't get into those speculations, John," said the Colonel, waving his hand.

"They are unpleasant, and lead nowhere--sufficient to the day is the evil thereof." "Quite so, quite so.

Life is a queer game of blind-man's buff, isn't it; played in a mist on a mountain top, and the players keep dropping over the precipices.

But nobody heeds, because there are always plenty more, and the game goes on forever.

Well, that's my side of the case.