She had also left strict orders with the servants that we were on no account to be disturbed.
As soon as we were comfortably seated in our smoking-chairs, which takes longer than some people think, Pettigrew offered me a Cabana.

I would have preferred to begin at once with the tobacco; but of course he was my host, and I put myself entirely in his hands.

I noticed that, from the moment his wife left us, he was a little excited, talking more than is his wont.

He seemed to think that he was not doing his duty as a host if the conversation flagged for a moment, and what was still more curious, he spoke of everything except his garden tobacco.

I emphasize this here at starting, lest any one should think that I was in any way responsible for the manner in which our experiment was conducted.