"He must be exceedingly eccentric," he thought to himself; "however,
that is nothing to me. If he can teach me how to live continuously,
this bag of gold, now mine, shall change masters."
The small coin of the realm was presented, and PETER stood face to
face with the Sage of the Ages.
"What do you want?" asked the ancient Alchymist, with a glistening
eye. "What d'ye want with an old man--a very old man?" And the Sage
wept.
"I meant not this," remonstrated PETER, greatly distressed at the
incident. "I came here merely to crave your aid. I wish to live now,
for JOSEPHINE is true to me."
"Who's JOSEPHINE?" asked the Sage, in the same thick voice. "Never
heard of JOSEPHINE. JOSEPHINE's bore--swindle! Old JOSEPHINE's jolly
humbug!"
"Well, let that pass," said PETER, "I am here to ask you why you
have lived so long. You are one hundred and twenty-seven years old, I
think, and yet you are still alive."
"Why, certainly. But you know all about it. Secret no longer. Dr.
MORTIMER GRANVILLE has told the _Times_ how it's done. Consider it
great shame. Takes the bread, so t' speak, out of one's mouth." Here
the Sage gave a lurch and seated himself accidentally on a stuffed
alligator. Seeing that his host was about to indulge in an untimely
nap, PETER thought the moment had arrived to urge him to reveal his
wonderful secret. "I implore you to tell me how you have managed to
live for so many years when all your contemporaries are gone.
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