’Notsowellasyou，Iamconvinced，’saidDick。
’AndsoamI，’returnedVanTrompgaily。’Paris！Myyoungfriend—youwillallowme？—whenyouknowParisasIdo，youwillhaveseenStrangeThings。Isaynomore;allIsayis，StrangeThings。Wearemenoftheworld，youandI，andinParis，intheheartofcivilisedexistence。Thisisanopportunity，Mr。Naseby。Letusdine。Letmeshowyouwheretodine。’
Dickconsented。OnthewaytodinnertheAdmiralshowedhimwheretobuygloves，andmadehimbuythem;wheretobuycigars，andmadehimbuyavaststore，someofwhichheobliginglyaccepted。Attherestaurantheshowedhimwhattoorder，withsurprisingconsequencesinthebill。Whathemadethatnightbyhispercentagesitwouldbehardtoestimate。AndallthewhileDicksmilinglyconsented，understandingwellthathewasbeingdone，buttakinghislossesinthepursuitofcharacterasahuntersacrificeshisdogs。AsfortheStrangeThings，thereaderwillberelievedtohearthattheywerenostrangerthanmighthavebeenexpected，andhemayfindthingsquiteasstrangewithouttheexpenseofaVanTrompforguide。Yethewasaguideofnomeanorder，whomadeupforthepovertyofwhathehadtoshowbyacopious，imaginativecommentary。
’Andsuch，’saidhe，withahiccup，’suchisParis。’
’Pooh！’saidDick，whowastiredoftheperformance。