Provided always, dear lady, that you are to be found somewhere
on the premises. What do you say, Mr. Heard?"
"I will gladly join your party, if you will allow me," replied the
bishop. "This aspic could not be better. It seems to open up a new
world of delights. Dear me. I fear I am becoming a gourmand, like
Lucullus. Though Lucullus, to be sure, was a temperate man. No, thank
you, Don Francesco; not a drop more! My liver, you know. I declare it's
making me feel quite dizzy."
As Marten had foretold, the wine flowed in torrents. There was a
bewildering display of cool dishes, too, prepared under the personal
supervision of the chef--that celebrated artist whom Keith had inveigled
out of the service of a life-loving old Ambassador by the threat of
disclosing to the police some hideously disreputable action in the
man's past life which His Excellently had artlessly confided to him,
under the seal of secrecy.
Mr. Samuel, a commercial gentleman who had got stuck somehow or other
at the Alpha and Omega Club, cast a practised eye over the wines,
chaud-froids, fruits, salads, ices, the lanterns and other joys of the
evening and announced, after a rough computation, that Keith's outlay
for that little show must have run well into three figures.
Pages:
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221