k, "I don't know how."

"It's perfectly easy. Just like this." He speared one and lifted it to
show her.

Arethusa watched the operation, fascinated at his skill, but she shook
her head with decision when he suggested that she do likewise.

"I couldn't possibly. I believe I'd drop it. That little pitchfork
thing doesn't look near big enough to hold such an enormous oyster."

"Oh, you won't drop any," he encouraged; "nobody ever has that I have
heard of. Go on and try."

"No," she shook her head again, "no, I don't believe I will. I think
I'd much rather practice at home first."

For it looked far too difficult to attempt thus offhand, even though
reassured that none had ever been dropped. And should one really miss
its way to her mouth and fall off the pitchfork thing to land in her
lap? Well, the Dress was far too beautiful and too precious to be
risked so foolishly. Those oysters had a most slimy appearance.

There was a little silence while the epicurean Mr. Watts consumed his
oysters unaccompanied.

Arethusa wondered if the time was ripe for her to introduce into the
Conversation the Subject of Lepidoptera, but if it was, she was quite
at a loss how to do so with "ease and grace." Perhaps a little Poetry
would be appreciated, but there was nothing as yet with which it could
be "interspersed." None of the verses she knew had any remotest
application to what had been said so far.

Mr. Watts finished his oysters to the very last one, and then turned
her way with a little sigh of satisfaction.

"You certainly did make a mistake this time, Miss Worthington, for
those were perfectly bully. This hotel is rather famous for its sea
food, you know, especially for oysters."

Now Arethusa was getting somewhat tired of hearing of these bivalves
and their extremely succulent taste; she did not want the entire
evening to be given over to a discussion of oysters. There were other
things. The Subject she had been at such pains to prepare, for
instance, would make a much more interesting Conversation. So she
plunged right in.

"Do you know anything about Lep--lep-e-e-top-dera?" she asked, with a
charming and social smile.

He looked frankly puzzled.

"Moths and butterflies," she added, in explanation to that questioning
expression.

"No, I bite. What about 'em?"

"I thought they would be nice for us to talk about. I read about them
in the Encyclopedia so I could. The 'Advice to Young Ladies' said at a
dinner you