about it, but it curdled his blood just a
little, because that ghost of a smile seemed to have just a tinge of
a sneer in it.

"This isn't the same cook you had last time, is it?" asked Bradley.

"Yes," said Thaddeus. "Same one, though it was my wife who made
that lem--"

"Thaddeus," interrupted Bessie, "Mrs. Robinson tells me that she and
Mr. Robinson are going down to New York to the theatre on Friday
night. Can't we all go?"

"Certainly," said Thaddeus. "I'm in on any little diversion of that
sort. Why, what's this?--er--why, yes, of course. Phillips, you'll
go; and you, too, eh, Bradley?"

Thaddeus was evidently much upset again; for, instead of the
whitebait he and Bessie had decided upon for their fish course, the
butler had entered, bearing in a toplofty fashion a huge silver
platter, upon which lay a superb salmon, beautifully cooked and
garnished. This he was now holding before Thaddeus, and stood
awaiting his nod of approval before serving it. Inasmuch as
Thaddeus not only expected whitebait, but had also never before seen
the silver platter, it is hardly surprising that he should sit
staring at the fish in a puzzled sort of way. He recovered shortly,
however, gave the nod the butler was waiting for, and the dinner
proceeded. And what a dinner it was! Each new course in turn
amazed Thaddeus far more than the course that had preceded it; and
now, when the butler, whom Thaddeus had got more or less used to,
came in bearing a bottle of wine, followed by another stolid, well-
dressed person, who might have been his twin-brother and who was in
reality no more than assistant to the other, Thaddeus began to fear
that the wine he had partaken of had brought about that duplication
of sight which is said to be one of the symptoms of over-indulgence.
Either that or he was dreaming, he thought; and the alternative was
not a pleasant one, for Thaddeus did not over-indulge, and as a
person of intellect he did not deem it the proper thing to dream at
the dinner-table, since the first requisite of dreaming is falling
asleep. This Thaddeus never did in polite society.

To say that he could scarcely contain himself for curiosity to know
what had occurred to bring about this singular condition of affairs
is to put it with a mildness which justice to Thaddeus compels me to
term criminal. Yet, to his credit be it said, that through the
whole of the repast, which lasted for two hours, he kept silent, and
but f