A Court of Inquiry

fellow our host is

of the qualities he

qualities that

hristophe

the Skeptic under his breath to

him which, being interpreted, meant that we were under our hosts' roof, had thus far been of avail. "We are not under their roof," he argued defiantly, in reply to one

er, and Althea and the Skeptic brought up the rear. It was on the great staircase that the Skeptic, pausing to gaze upward, at a command from the Promoter, who had just bid him

a hurry," I had heard Althea saying to the Skeptic behind u

air of prostrating himself before a shrine. Awe and wonder dominated his aspect. Only we who were familiar with a certain curving line over his left ey

the Promoter, laying his hand upon one of them. He rather mum

, and laid his hand upon t

d in the Royal Palace at A

to the touch," murmured the Skeptic; bu

g lackeys in livery and guests in evening finery, we arrived at the doorway of the most elaborately orn

t anywhere. It's absolutely cosmopolitan. People from all over the world are dining here to-night-are every night. Every tenth man is worth his millions. Notice the third

ive orchestra celebrated our arrival with strains from a popular opera then raging. People all around glanced at us and immediately a

white waistcoat and looked from side to side with the superior glance of a man who owns the whole thing. Althea, in her place

n to-night, though her simple, white evening frock was not cut half so low as Althea's pink, embroidered one, nor cost half so much as my plain pale-gray. Althea devoted herse

oing to meet the next note due, but bluffing it through. Somebodies and nobodies. Kingfish and minnows-and some of

sed my i

e to have with it?" h

d time already, and the dinner was not far on its way. I saw Hepatica shield hers-also for the third time. A

We'll have to get you to stay in town long enough to overcome those notions of

a garrulous lady at the table on my right, whose high laughter was beginning to carry far; I observed a sleepy one at my left, who had spilled champagne down th

tments, telling stories of great co

have the money, I suppose

re not afraid to sit in, and have the nerve to bluff it through, yo

a man of the world," one could see she was thinking, "who is

ke the dust under your feet. Can I ever eat creamed codfish and johnny-cake again, think you? Hepatica must name the hash by a French nam

nd of the dinner. For some time the odour of expensive cigars had been growin

my feelings," I answered. "I shall never

the present moment," counselled the Skeptic gently, "or you will b

was not to be. We were taken from place to place about the hotel, to look in on this or that scene of entertainment, of banqueting, of revelry. Gorgeousness upon gorgeousness was revealed to us. Althea, now very gay and sparkling in manne

pair of peacocks. The Philosopher adjusted his eyeglasses from time to time as if they did not fit well; he seemed to feel his vision growing distorte

? I want to put one on a letter I have in my pocket. May I slip it into the post-box myself, or do I have

id he. "But I notice they're the same ones who breathe deep whe

going to do it here, inside," said

. In one of the mirrors I caught the Philosopher's eye regarding me so steadily that I felt a sudden sense of relief at the realization that some time we sh

s way to inspect a system of electrical devices on the wall, to which the Promoter was c

ms; bric-à-brac and photographs-the latter mostly of actors and opera singers. In Althea's bedroom we came upon a dressing-table which reminded me of my own, upon the occasion of Althea's visit to me, a few y

novels, as many magazines, and piles of the great dailies. Nowhere could I descry even a small collection of books of the sort which may furnish material for conversation. I tried to imagine the Philosopher drawing a certain beloved book of essays from his pocket, settling himself comfortably with his back to the drop-light, and beginning to read aloud to us, as he is accustomed to do in the Skeptic's little rooms

offered them one more thing to drink. This really seemed superfluous, and-judging by the straightforw

er great buildings which surrounded us on every side, sent his gaze upwa

name for it. It thinks it's sophisticated and refined-but it isn't. It's a great, bl

breaths of relief that I got away without buying a block of stock in something, or

e gets you at luncheon with him in the grill-room, all by yourself-then you can find out what he is when he's after game. Unless you're tied to the mast, so to speak, with y

hea likes it?" sp

. "That's plain enough. It saves housekeeping-and picking up her room,

as we walked on, "but keep on up to the next. A fast

," said the Philosopher, as we t

everybody else at those tables

with the rest, that you were inwardly protesting, and greatly preferred the simple life? Don't flatter yourself that you had the aspect of an ascetic. There were moments during that

f some particularly prosperous looking people at another table and bowed convi

then-it's the ladies who did succeed in l

erein he thought we differed. Hepatica asked anxiously if she really had looked so

y old-fashioned. But not so much in the matter of the frock as i

nded the Skep

to Co