the Piazza."

"Very good; I will dine with you to-day; order some mulligatawny, they
are famous for it. After dinner we will go to the theatre."

I was rather surprised at his cool manner of asking himself to dine with
me and ordering my dinner, but a moment's reflection made me feel what
sort of person I had to deal with.

"Major, I take that as almost an affront. You will dine with me
_to-day!_ I beg to state that you _must_ dine with me every day that we
are not invited elsewhere; and what's more, sir, I shall be most
seriously displeased, if you do not order the dinner every time that you
do dine with me, and ask whoever you may think worthy of putting their
legs under our table, Let's have no doing things by halves, Major; I
know you now as well as if we had been intimate for ten years."

The Major seized me by the hand. "My dear Newland, I only wish we _had
known_ one another ten years, as you say--the loss has been mine; but
now--you have breakfasted, I presume?"

"Yes; having nothing to do, and not knowing a soul after my long
absence, I advanced my breakfast about two hours, that I might find you
at home; and now I'm at your service."

"Say rather I am at yours. I presume you will walk. In ten minutes I
shall be ready. Either take up the paper, or whistle an air or two, or
anything else you like, just to kill ten minutes--and I shall be at your
command."

Chapter XXI

I come out under a first-rate chaperon, and at once am established
into the regions of fashion--Prove that I am deserving of my
promotion.

"I beg your pardon, Newland," said the Major, returning from his
dressing-room, resplendent with chains and bijouterie; "but I must have
your Christian name."

"It's rather a strange one," replied I; "it is Japhet."

"Japhet! by the immortal powers, I'd bring an action against my
godfathers and godmothers; you ought to recover _heavy damages_."

"Then I presume you would not have the name," replied I, with a knowing
look, "for a clear ten thousand a year."

"Whew! that alters the case--it's astonishing how well any name looks in
large _gold_ letters. Well, as the old gentleman, whoever he might have
been, made you compensation, you must forgive and forget. Now where
shall we go?"

"With your permission, as I came to town in these clothes, made by a
German tailor--Darmstadt's tailor by-the-bye--but still if tailor to a
prince, not the prince of tailors--I would wish you