, preceded
him at quick march to an upper chamber. When he descended, bag in hand,
she flung open the salon-door of a table d'hote, where a goodly number
were dining and chattering; waiters drew him along to the section
occupied by his master's party. A chair had been kept vacant for him;
his master waved a hand, his dear ladies graciously smiled; he struck
the bag in front of a guardian foot, growing happy. He could fancy they
had not seen the English newspapers. And his next observation of the
table showed him wrecked and lost: Miss Nesta's face was the oval of
a woeful O at his wild behaviour in England during their absence. She
smiled. Skepsey had nevertheless to consume his food--excellent,
very tasty soup-with the sour sauce of the thought that he must be
tongue-tied in his defence for the time of the dinner.

'No, dear Skips, please! you are to enjoy yourself,' said Nesta.

He answered confusedly, trying to assure her that he was doing so, and
he choked.

His master had fixed his arrival for twenty minutes earlier. Skepsey
spoke through a cough of long delays at stations. The Rev. Septimus
Barmby, officially peacemaker, sounded the consequent excuse for a
belated comer. It was final; such is the power of sound. Looks were
cast from the French section of the table at the owner of the prodigious
organ. Some of the younger men, intent on the charms of Albion's
daughters, expressed in a sign and a word or two alarm at what might be
beneath the flooring: and 'Pas encore Lui!' and 'Son avant-courrier!'
and other flies of speech passed on a whiff, under politest of cover,
not to give offence. But prodigies, claim attention.

Our English, at the close of the dinner, consented to say it was good,
without specifying a dish, because a selection of this or that would
have seemed to italicize, and commit, them, in the presence of ladies,
to a notice of the matter of-course, beneath us, or the confession of
a low sensual enjoyment; until Lady Grace Halley named the particular
dressing of a tete de veau approvingly to Victor; and he stating, that
he had offered a suggestion for the menu of the day, Nataly exclaimed,
that she had suspected it: upon which Mr. Sowerby praised the menu,
Mr. Barmby, Peridon and Catkin named other dishes, there was the right
after-dinner ring in Victor's ears, thanks to the woman of the world
who had travelled round to nature and led the shackled men to deliver
themselves heartily. One tap, and t