Part 28 (1/2)
CHAPTER XXII.
THE GREAT BANQUET.
”Gewhittaker! this is splendid, Bob. I didn't think we was coming to no such tony place as what this is,” said Tom Flannery.
”Didn't I tell you it wa'n't no Jim Fisk or Boss Tweed ranch?” replied Bob.
”So you did, Bob; but you see I didn't know about them big gla.s.s--what do you call 'em?”
”Chandeliers,” suggested Herbert.
”Chandeliers, that's it; but ain't they stunnin', though?”
”Well, there ain't nothin' mean about 'em, I should think,” answered Bob.
”No, nor 'bout anything here,” said Tom. ”I never see so much style slung round before, did you, Herbert?”
”I don't know,” answered young Randolph, carelessly.
”Say, Tom, don't make so much fuss about this place. 'Tain't nothin'; no, 'tain't nothin', Tom, beside some er the tony places further up town.”
A waiter now came along and handed a bill of fare to Bob, and took away the gla.s.ses to fill them with ice.
”Do them fellers always dress up so with a swallow tail on, Bob?” asked Tom.
”Yes, at a swell place, like this is, they do,” answered Bob. ”Now that waiter he will be right back and want our orders. The first thing is soup, and there's three kinds--_potage Julienne_, _supreme_, and _consomme a la royale_. Which will you have, Herbert?”
”You may give me the _potage Julienne_,” replied the young Vermonter.
”Say 'em again, Bob; I didn't quite catch 'em before,” said Tom.
Bob smiled, and obeyed the request.
”Why not have 'em all, Bob?” said Tom, eagerly.
”'Cause 'tain't regular to do that way.”
”Well, they are all on there for us, ain't they?”
”They are on for us to take whichever one we want.”
”And I can't have but one?”
”No.”
”Well, I thought at these er--what do you call 'em?--dinners a feller had everything in the old bill, if he wanted it.”
”_Table d'hote_, you mean, Tom Flannery, but you're way off, you are; n.o.body ever has everything.”