“I hear you made enough noise in the cellar—Did Georgie have a good time?”

“Ma'am?”

“Did Georgie Bassett have a good time?”

“Well”—Sam now had the air of a person trying to remember details with absolute accuracy—“well, he didn't say he did, and he didn't say he didn't.”

“Didn't he thank the boys?”

“No'm.”

“Didn't he even thank you?”

“No'm.”

“Why, that's queer,” she said. “He's always so polite. He SEEMED to be having a good time, didn't he, Sam?”

“Ma'am?”