Glasses were brought, and drinks were poured for everybody.  Kinnear took Walter’s men inside to see the preparations for the wedding.  Big Joe thought he had never seen anything so fine in his whole life.  And so it was some time before anyone noticed that Walter wasn’t there.

“What’s he doing?” Kinnear boomed, having drunk his fair share.  “Someone get him so we can drink a toast!”

But Walter could not be persuaded to touch a drop.  He wouldn’t even come into the building but preferred to stay in the yard with the horses.  Frustrated, Kinnear marched down to the yard.

“Hey, Walter, come on and get a drink.  We’re celebrating!”  He offered Walter a glass, but Walter didn’t take it.  He stood respectfully before Kinnear and declined his offer.

Kinnear was not to be put off.  He clapped his hand on Walter’s shoulder and guided him firmly towards the hearse, still bearing the coffin full of bottles. 

“Look at that,” he said gleefully.  “It’s a marvel!  Surely you’ll have just one drink with me.”

But Walter still refused.  By this time a few of his men had gathered in the yard and joined in the persuasion, some teasing, some begging.  None of them could understand why Walter wouldn’t just have one drink with them.

But Walter merely stood by the coffin, smiled at them all and politely declined.

And the moral of the tale is: You can lead Walter to the hearse, but you can’t make him drink.

(This moral tale is a little more obscure than my other one: A Tale of Two Counts.  I hope you can guess the proverb that’s being referred to at the end, but if not, feel free to message me and I’ll tell you!)