restrained.
They went out the last of all; he did not know why, but he submitted,
and when they sat down he saw that Irene, although she had come in with
that Mr. Bellingham, was seated beside young Corey, after all.

He fetched a long sigh of relief when he sank into his chair and felt
himself safe from error if he kept a sharp lookout and did only what
the others did. Bellingham had certain habits which he permitted
himself, and one of these was tucking the corner of his napkin into his
collar; he confessed himself an uncertain shot with a spoon, and
defended his practice on the ground of neatness and common-sense.
Lapham put his napkin into his collar too, and then, seeing that no one
but Bellingham did it, became alarmed and took it out again slyly. He
never had wine on his table at home, and on principle he was a
prohibitionist; but now he did not know just what to do about the
glasses at the right of his plate. He had a notion to turn them all
down, as he had read of a well-known politician's doing at a public
dinner, to show that he did not take wine; but, after twiddling with
one of them a moment, he let them be, for it seemed to him that would
be a little too conspicuous, and he felt that every one was looking.
He let the servant fill them all, and he drank out of each, not to
appear odd. Later, he observed that the young ladies were not taking
wine, and he was glad to see that Irene had refused it, and that Mrs.
Lapham was letting it stand untasted. He did not know but he ought to
decline some of the dishes, or at least leave most of some on his
plate, but he was not able to decide; he took everything and ate
everything.

He noticed that Mrs. Corey seemed to take no more trouble about the
dinner than anybody, and Mr. Corey rather less; he was talking busily
to Mrs. Lapham, and Lapham caught a word here and there that convinced
him she was holding her own. He was getting on famously himself with
Mrs. Corey, who had begun with him about his new house; he was telling
her all about it, and giving her his ideas. Their conversation
naturally included his architect across the table; Lapham had been
delighted and secretly surprised to find the fellow there; and at
something Seymour said the talk spread suddenly, and the pretty house
he was building for Colonel Lapham became the general theme. Young
Corey testified to its loveliness, and the architect said laughingly
that if he had been able to make a nice t