? ? ? ? 'Oh! Ah! Won't you come in, Mr. Bentham?' said Parker, who had stepped to see who the newcomer might be.
? ? ? ? 'Is my wife here?' gruffly responded that worthy.
? ? ? ? 'Why, yes. We left word with Mr. Meyers.' Parker was exerting his most dulcet tones, inwardly wondering what the deuce it all meant. 'Won't you come in? Expecting you at any moment, we reserved a place. And just in time for the first course, too.'
? ? ? ? 'Come in, Edwin, dear,' chirped Grace Bentham from her seat at the table.
? ? ? ? Parker naturally stood aside.
? ? ? ? 'I want my wife,' reiterated Bentham hoarsely, the intonation savoring disagreeably of ownership.
? ? ? ? Parker gasped, was within an ace of driving his fist into the face of his boorish visitor, but held himself awkwardly in check. Everybody rose. Lake lost his head and caught himself on the verge of saying, 'Must you go?'
? ? ? ? Then began the farrago of leave-taking. 'So nice of you-' 'I am awfully sorry-' 'By Jove! how things did brighten-' 'Really now, you-' 'Thank you ever so much-' 'Nice trip to Dawson-' etc., etc.
? ? ? ? In this wise the lamb was helped into her jacket and led to the slaughter.
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