won't go up to the Boss Tweed tonight," replied the young
detective, somewhat pompously.

"Bob is goin' to ask us up town for a big lay out," said Tom.

Herbert looked doubtful.

"That's so," said Bob. "We will have kind of a blow out all by
ourselves."

"And shall we do the town afterwards, as the bloods say?" asked Tom.

"What does 'doing the town' mean?" asked Herbert. The expression was new
to him.

"It's goin' round and seeing the sights," replied Bob. "But come, let's
be movin'. We can talk about doin' the town while we are at dinner."

"So I say," said Tom, with characteristic hunger.

CHAPTER XXII.

THE GREAT BANQUET.

"Gewhittaker! this is splendid, Bob. I didn't think we was coming to no
such tony place as what this is," said Tom Flannery.

"Didn't I tell you it wa'n't no Jim Fisk or Boss Tweed ranch?" replied
Bob.

"So you did, Bob; but you see I didn't know about them big glass--what
do you call 'em?"

"Chandeliers," suggested Herbert.

"Chandeliers, that's it; but ain't they stunnin', though?"

"Well, there ain't nothin' mean about 'em, I should think," answered
Bob.

"No, nor 'bout anything here," said Tom. "I never see so much style
slung round before, did you, Herbert?"

"I don't know," answered young Randolph, carelessly.

"Say, Tom, don't make so much fuss about this place. 'Tain't nothin';
no, 'tain't nothin', Tom, beside some er the tony places further up
town."

A waiter now came along and handed a bill of fare to Bob, and took away
the glasses to fill them with ice.

"Do them fellers always dress up so with a swallow tail on, Bob?" asked
Tom.

"Yes, at a swell place, like this is, they do," answered Bob. "Now that
waiter he will be right back and want our orders. The first thing is
soup, and there's three kinds--_potage Julienne_, _supreme_, and
_consomme a la royale_. Which will you have, Herbert?"

"You may give me the _potage Julienne_," replied the young Vermonter.

"Say 'em again, Bob; I didn't quite catch 'em before," said Tom.

Bob smiled, and obeyed the request.

"Why not have 'em all, Bob?" said Tom, eagerly.

"'Cause 'tain't regular to do that way."

"Well, they are all on there for us, ain't they?"

"They are on for us to take whichever one we want."

"And I can't have but one?"

"No."

"Well, I thought at these er--what do you call 'em?--dinners a feller
had everything in the old bill, if he wanted it."

"_Table d'hote_, you mean, Tom