you
think I'm doin'? I'm playin' dominoes.' He didn't mean he WAS playin'
dominoes, mamma. He just said he was. I think maybe he was just lookin'
in the lookin'-glass some more."

Mrs. Baxter was becoming embarrassed. She resolved to go to William's
room herself at the first opportunity; but for some time her
conscientiousness as a hostess continued to occupy her at the table,
and then, when she would have gone, Miss Pratt detained her by a roguish
appeal to make Mr. Bullitt and Mr. Watson behave. Both refused all
nourishment except such as was placed in their mouths by the delicate
hand of one of the Noblest, and the latter said that really she wanted
to eat a little tweetie now and then herself, and not to spend her whole
time feeding the Men. For Miss Pratt had the same playfulness with older
people that she had with those of her own age; and she elaborated her
pretended quarrel with the two young gentlemen, taking others of the
dazzled company into her confidence about it, and insisting upon "Mamma
Batster's" acting formally as judge to settle the difficulty. However,
having thus arranged matters, Miss Pratt did not resign the center of
interest, but herself proposed a compromise: she would continue to feed
Mr. Bullitt and Mr. Watson "every other tweetie"--that is, each must
agree to eat a cake "all by him own self," after every cake fed to him.
So the comedietta went on, to the running accompaniment of laughter,
with Mr. Bullitt and Mr. Watson swept by such gusts of adoration they
were like to perish where they sat. But Mrs. Baxter's smiling approval
was beginning to be painful to the muscles of her face, for it was
hypocritical. And if William had known her thoughts about one of the
Noblest, he could only have attributed them to that demon of groundless
prejudice which besets all females, but most particularly and
outrageously the mothers and sisters of Men.

A colored serving-maid entered with a laden tray, and, having disposed
of its freight of bon-bons among the guests, spoke to Mrs. Baxter in a
low voice.

"Could you manage step in the back hall a minute, please, ma'am?"

Mrs. Baxter managed and, having closed the door upon the laughing
voices, asked, quickly--"What is it, Adelia? Have you seen Mr. William?
Do you know why he doesn't come down?"

"Yes'm," said Adelia. "He gone mighty near out his head, Miz Baxter."

"What!"

"Yes'm. He come floppin' down the back stairs in his baf-robe li'l'
while ago