FRIENDOFMINEANNOUNCEDHERINTENTIONOFMAKINGMEAPRESENT.SHETHOUGHTTHATINTHEEVENTOFSHIPWRECKORACCIDENTASTIMULANTMIGHTBEUSEFUL.HOWEVER,ASIHADNOOCCASIONFORIT,IGAVEITBACKONMYRETURN.ONTHEEVEOFANYFOREIGNJOURNEYTHESAMEBOTTLEALWAYSMAKESITSAPPEARANCE,WITHTHESAMENOTEONMYRETURNINSAFETYITISALWAYSHANDEDBACK.ICONSIDERITAKINDOFCHARMAGAINSTACCIDENTS.THOUGHIWASONCEDETAINEDTWENTY-FOURHOURSBYANACCIDENTTOTHETRAININFRONTOFME,IHAVENEVERMETWITHANYACCIDENTMYSELF.YES,SHECONTINUED,NOWADDRESSINGTHEBOTTLE,WEHAVESEENMANYCLIMESANDCUPBOARDSTOGETHER,HAVEWENOTIINTENDONEOFTHESEDAYSTOHAVEASILVERLABELMADEWITHANINSCRIPTION.ITISAGENTLEMAN,ASYOUMAYOBSERVE,ANDHISNAMEISOLIVER....IDONOTTHINKICOULDFORGIVEYOU,MISSVINRACE,IFYOUBROKEMYOLIVER,SHESAID,FIRMLYTAKINGTHEBOTTLEOUTOFRACHELSHANDSANDREPLACINGITINTHECUPBOARD.RACHELWASSWINGINGTHEBOTTLEBYTHENECK.SHEWASINTERESTEDBYMISSALLANTOTHEPOINTOFFORGETTINGTHEBOTTLE.WELL,SHEEXCLAIMED,IDOTHINKTHATODDTOHAVEHADAFRIENDFORTWENTY-SIXYEARS,ANDABOTTLE,AND--TOHAVEMADEALLTHOSEJOURNEYS.NOTATALLICALLITTHEREVERSEOFODD,MISSALLANREPLIED.IALWAYSCONSIDERMYSELFTHEMOSTORDINARYPERSONIKNOW.ITSRATHERDISTINGUISHEDTOBEASORDINARYASIAM.IFORGET--AREYOUAPRODIGY,OR