or later. What, too, would Peter think
of him for breaking out on his uncle, which he firmly intended to do as
soon as the hour hand reached eleven? Nor would he mince his words. That
an outrage of this kind could be committed on an unsuspecting man was
bad enough, but that it should have taken place in his own uncle's
office, bringing into disrepute his father's and his own good name, was
something he could not tolerate for a moment. This he intended saying to
his uncle in so many plain words; and so leaving our hero with his
soul on fire, his mind bent on inflammables, explosives,
high-pressures--anything in fact that once inserted under the solid body
of the senior Breen would blow that gentleman into space--we will betake
ourselves to his palatial home. The dinner being an important one, no
expense had been spared.

All day long boys in white aprons had sprung from canvas-covered wagons,
dived in Arthur Breen's kitchen and dived out again after depositing
various eatables, drinkables and cookables--among them six pair
of redheads, two saddles of mutton, besides such uncanny things as
mushrooms, truffles and the like, all of which had been turned over to
the chef, who was expressly engaged for the occasion, and whose white
cap--to quote Parkins--"Gives a hair to the scullery which reminded
him more of 'ome than anything 'e 'ad seen since 'e left 'is lordship's
service."

Upstairs more wonderful things had been done. The table of the
sepulchral dining-room was trans formed into a bed of tulips, the mantel
a parterre of flowers, while the sideboard, its rear packed with the
family silver, was guarded by a row of bottles of various sizes, shapes
and colors; various degrees of cob webbed shabbiness, too--containing
the priceless vintages which the senior member of the firm of Breen &
Co. intended to set before his friends.

Finally, as the dinner hour approached, all the gas jets were ablaze;
not only the side lights in the main hall, and the overhead lantern
which had shed its rays on Peter's bald head, but the huge glass
chandelier hung in the middle of the satin-upholstered drawing room, as
well as the candelabra on the mantel with their imitation wax candles
and brass wicks--every thing, in fact, that could add to the brilliancy
of the occasion.

All this, despite the orderly way in which the millionaire's house was
run, had developed a certain nervous anxiety in the host himself, the
effect of which had not ye