machinery was equally
difficult to stop. She generally wore a low bonnet and a mantle. The
Cotterills had been spending a fortnight in the Isle of Man, and they
had come direct from Douglas to Llandudno by steamer, where they meant
to pass two or three days. They were staying at Craig-y-don, at the
eastern end of the Parade.

"Well, young man!" said Councillor Cotterill.

And he kept on young-manning Denry with an easy patronage which Denry
could scarcely approve of. "I bet I've made more money this summer than
you have with all your jerrying!" said Denry silently to the
Councillor's back while the Cotterill family were inspecting the
historic lifeboat on the beach. Councillor Cotterill said frankly that
one reason for their calling at Llandudno was his desire to see this
singular lifeboat, about which there had really been a very great deal
of talk in the Five Towns. The admission comforted Denry. Then the
Councillor recommenced his young-manning.

"Look here," said Demo, carelessly, "you must come and dine with me one
night, all of you--will you?"

Nobody who has not passed at least twenty years in a district where
people dine at one o'clock, and dining after dark is regarded as a wild
idiosyncrasy of earls, can appreciate the effect of this speech.

The Councillor, when he had recovered himself, said that they would be
pleased to dine with him; Mrs Cotterill's tight lips were seen to move,
but not heard; and Nellie glowed.

"Yes," said Denry, "come and dine with me at the Majestic."

The name of the Majestic put an end to the young-manning. It was the new
hotel by the pier, and advertised itself as the most luxurious hotel in
the Principality. Which was bold of it, having regard to the
magnificence of caravanserais at Cardiff. It had two hundred bedrooms,
and waiters who talked English imperfectly; and its prices were supposed
to be fantastic.

After all, the most startled and frightened person of the four was
perhaps Denry. He had never given a dinner to anybody. He had never even
dined at night. He had never been inside the Majestic. He had never had
the courage to go inside the Majestic. He had no notion of the
mysterious preliminaries to the offering of a dinner in a public place.

But the next morning he contracted to give away the lifeboat to a
syndicate of boatmen, headed by John their leader, for thirty-five
pounds. And he swore to himself that he would do that dinner properly,
even if it cost him