h horrified as if he had dropped a plate on my toes. "Bread,
William," I said sharply.

"You are not vexed with me, sir?" he had the hardihood to whisper.

"It was a liberty," I said.

"I know, sir, but I was beside myself."

"That was a liberty again."

"It is my wife, sir, she--"

So William, whom I had favoured in so many ways, was a married man. I
felt that this was the greatest liberty of all.

I gathered that the troublesome woman was ailing, and as one who likes
after dinner to believe that there is no distress in the world, I
desired to be told by William that the signals meant her return to
health. He answered inconsiderately, however, that the doctor feared the
worst.

"Bah, the doctor," I said in a rage.

"Yes, sir," said William.

"What is her confounded ailment?"

"She was allus one of the delicate kind, but full of spirit, and you
see, sir, she has had a baby-girl lately--"

"William, how dare you," I said, but in the same moment I saw that this
father might be useful to me. "How does your baby sleep, William?" I
asked in a low voice, "how does she wake up? what do you put in her
bath?"

I saw surprise in his face, so I hurried on without waiting for an
answer. "That little girl comes here with a message from your wife?"

"Yes, sir, every evening; she's my eldest, and three nods from her means
that the missus is a little better."

"There were three nods to-day?"

"Yes, sir.

"I suppose you live in some low part, William?"

The impudent fellow looked as if he could have struck me. "Off Drury
Lane," he said, flushing, "but it isn't low. And now," he groaned,
"she's afeared she will die without my being there to hold her hand."

"She should not say such things."

"She never says them, sir. She allus pretends to be feeling stronger.
But I knows what is in her mind when I am leaving the house in the
morning, for then she looks at me from her bed, and I looks at her from
the door--oh, my God, sir!"

"William!"

At last he saw that I was angry, and it was characteristic of him to beg
my pardon and withdraw his wife as if she were some unsuccessful dish.
I tried to forget his vulgar story in billiards, but he had spoiled
my game, and next day to punish him I gave my orders through another
waiter. As I had the window-seat, however, I could not but see that the
little girl was late, and though this mattered nothing to me and I had
finished my dinner, I lingered till she came. She not on