an you or I was she moved to ridicule or disdain by
the silliness and the tawdry vulgarity of the life of palace and
liveried lackey and empty ceremonial, by the tedious entertainments, by
the displays of costly and poisonous food. But General Siddall's
establishment presented a new phase to her--and she thought it unique
in dreadfulness and absurdity.

The general had had a home life in his youth--in a coal-miner's cabin
near Wilkes-Barre. Ever since, he had lived in boarding-houses or
hotels. As his shrewd and rapacious mind had gathered in more and more
wealth, he had lived more and more luxuriously--but always at hotels.
He had seen little of the private life of the rich. Thus he had been
compelled to get his ideas of luxury and of ceremonial altogether from
the hotel-keepers and caterers who give the rich what the more
intelligent and informed of the rich are usually shamed by people of
taste from giving themselves at home.

She thought the tablecloth, napkins, and gaudy gold and flowery cut
glass a little overdone, but on the whole not so bad. She had seen
such almost as grand at a few New York houses. The lace in the cloth
and in the napkins was merely a little too magnificent. It made the
table lumpy, it made the napkins unfit for use. But the way the dinner
was served! You would have said you were in a glorified palace-hotel
restaurant. You looked about for the cashier's desk; you were certain a
bill would be presented after the last course.

The general, tinier and more grotesque than ever in the great
high-backed, richly carved armchair, surveyed the progress of the
banquet with the air of a god performing miracles of creation and
passing them in review and giving them his divine endorsement. He was
well pleased with the enthusiastic praises Presbury and his wife
lavished upon the food and drink. He would have been better pleased
had they preceded and followed every mouthful with a eulogy. He
supplemented their compliments with even more fulsome compliments,
adding details as to the origin and the cost.

"Darcy"--this to the butler--"tell the chef that this fish is the best
yet--really exquisite." To Presbury: "I had it brought over from
France--alive, of course. We have many excellent fish, but I like a
change now and then. So I have a standing order with Prunier--he's the
big oyster- and fish-man of Paris--to send me over some things every
two weeks by special express. That way, an oyster