The general had had a home life in his youth--in a coal-miner's cabin near Wilkes-Barre.Ever since, he had lived in boarding-houses or hotels.As his shrewd and rapacious mind had gathered in more and more wealth, he had lived more and more luxuriously--but always at hotels.He had seen little of the private life of the rich.Thus he had been compelled to get his ideas of luxury and of ceremonial altogether from the hotel-keepers and caterers who give the rich what the more intelligent and informed of the rich are usually shamed by people of taste from giving themselves at home.
She thought the tablecloth, napkins, and gaudy gold and flowery cut glass a little overdone, but on the whole not so bad.She had seen such almost as grand at a few New York houses.The lace in the cloth and in the napkins was merely a little too magnificent.It made the table lumpy, it made the napkins unfit for use.
But the way the dinner was served! You would have said you were in a glorified palace-hotel restaurant.
You looked about for the cashier's desk; you were certain a bill would be presented after the last course.
The general, tinier and more grotesque than ever in the great high-backed, richly carved armchair, surveyed the progress of the banquet with the air of a god performing miracles of creation and passing them in review and giving them his divine endorsement.He was well pleased with the enthusiastic praises Presbury and his wife lavished upon the food and drink.He would have been better pleased had they preceded and followed every mouthful with a eulogy.He supplemented their compliments with even more fulsome compliments, adding details as to the origin and the cost.
``Darcy''--this to the butler--``tell the chef that this fish is the best yet--really exquisite.'' To Presbury: ``I had it brought over from France--alive, of course.We have many excellent fish, but I like a change now and then.So I have a standing order with Prunier--he's the big oyster- and fish-man of Paris--to send me over some things every two weeks by special express.That way, an oyster costs about fifty cents and a fish about five or six dollars.''
To Mrs.Presbury: ``I'll have Darcy make you and Miss Presbury--excuse me, Miss Gower--bouquets of the flowers afterward.Most of them come from New York--and very high really first-class flowers are.
I pay two dollars apiece for my roses even at this season.And orchids--well, I feel really extravagant when I indulge in orchids as I have this evening.Ten dollars apiece for those.But they're worth it.''
The dinner was interminably long--upward of twenty kinds of food, no less than five kinds of wine;enough served and spoiled to have fed and intoxicated a dozen people at least.And upon every item of food and drink the general had some remarks to make.He impressed it upon his guests that this dinner was very little better than the one served to him every night, that the increase in expense and luxury was not in their honor, but in his own--to show them what he could do when he wished to make a holiday.Finally the grand course was reached.Into the dining-room, to the amazement of the guests, were rolled two great restaurant joint wagons.Instead of being made of silver-plated nickel or plain nickel they were of silver embossed with gold, and the large carvers and serving-spoons and forks had gold-mounted silver handles.
When the lackeys turned back the covers there were disclosed several truly wonderful young turkeys, fattened as if by painstaking and skillful hand and superbly browned.
Up to that time the rich and costly food had been sadly medium--like the wines.But these turkeys were a genuine triumph.Even Mildred gave them a look of interest and admiration.In a voice that made General Siddall ecstatic Presbury cried:
``GOD bless my soul! WHERE did you get those beauties, old man!''
``Paris,'' said Siddall in a voice tremulous with pride and self-admiration.You would have thought that he had created not merely the turkeys, but Paris, also.
``Potin sends them over to me.Potin, you know, is the finest dealer in groceries, fruit, game, and so on in the world.I have a standing order with him for the best of--everything that comes in.I'd hate to tell you what my bill with Potin is every month--he only sends it to me once a year.Really, I think I ought to be ashamed of myself, but I reason that, if a man can afford it, he's a fool to put anything but the best into his stomach.''
``You're right there!'' mumbled Presbury.His mouth was full of turkey.``You HAVE got a chef, General!''
``He ought to cook well.I pay him more than most bank-presidents get.What do you think of those joint wagons, Mrs.Presbury?''
``They're very--interesting,'' replied she, a little nervous because she suspected they were some sort of vulgar joke.
``I knew you'd like them,'' said the general.``My own idea entirely.I saw them in several restaurants abroad--only of course those they had were just ordinary affairs, not fit to be introduced into a gentleman's dining-room.But I took the idea and adapted it to my purposes--and there you are!''
``Very original, old man,'' said Presbury, who had been drinking too much.``I've never seen it before, and I don't think I ever shall again.Got the idea patented?''
But Siddall in his soberest moment would have been slow to admit a suspicion that any of the human race, which he regarded as on its knees before him, was venturing to poke fun at him.Drunk as he now was, the openest sarcasm would have been accepted as a compliment.
After a gorgeous dessert which nobody more than touched--a molded mousse of whipped and frozen cream and strawberries--``specially sent on to me from Florida and costing me a dollar apiece, I guess''--after this costly wonder had disappeared fruit was served.
General Siddall had ready a long oration upon this course.He delivered it in a disgustingly thick tone.
