. They tipped the man who carried their coats and the
boy who opened the door. In the washrooms they tipped the boys who
filled the basins for them and those who gave them a second brushing.

The piazzas of the inn were crowded with automobiling parties, in all
sorts of strange costumes. It seemed to Montague that most of them were
flashy people--the men had red faces and the women had loud voices; he
saw one in a sky-blue coat with bright scarlet facing. It occurred to
him that if these women had not worn such large hats, they would not
have needed quite such a supply of the bright-coloured veiling which
they wound over the hats and tied under their chins, or left to float
about in the breeze.

The dining-room seemed to have been built in sections, rambling about
on the summit of the cliff. The side of it facing the water was all
glass, and could be taken down. The ceiling was a maze of streamers and
Japanese lanterns, and here and there were orange-trees and palms and
artificial streams and fountains. Every table was crowded, it seemed;
one was half-deafened by the clatter of plates, the voices and
laughter, and the uproar of a negro orchestra of banjos, mandolins, and
guitars. Negro waiters flew here and there, and a huge, stout
head-waiter, who was pirouetting and strutting, suddenly espied Oliver,
and made for him with smiles of welcome.

"Yes, sir--just come in, sir," he said, and led the way down the room,
to where, in a corner, a table had been set for sixteen or eighteen
people. There was a shout, "Here's Ollie!"--and a pounding of glasses
and a chorus of welcome--"Hello, Ollie! You're late, Ollie! What's the
matter--car broke down?"

Of the party, about half were men and half women. Montague braced
himself for the painful ordeal of being introduced to sixteen people in
succession, but this was considerately spared him. He shook hands with
Robbie Walling, a tall and rather hollow-chested young man, with slight
yellow moustaches; and with Mrs. Robbie, who bade him welcome, and
presented him with the freedom of the company.

Then he found himself seated between two young ladies, with a waiter
leaning over him to take his order for the drinks. He said, a little
hesitatingly, that he would like some whisky, as he was about frozen,
upon which the girl on his right, remarked, "You'd better try a
champagne cocktail--you'll get your results quicker." She added, to the
waiter, "Bring a couple of them, and be quick