Miss Sillerton. What's in Mr. Trotter's?
Blanche. Oh, that present has almost been my death! Men are so hard to find things for! I had put in a gold pencil for his key chain, but to-night while we were eating our oysters, I saw him show a beauty that his mother had given him this morning! So I whispered to Jordan between the soup and fish to change Mr. Ryder's name to Mr. Trotter's stocking, and put Mr. Trotter's name on the one that had a cigarette case in it. I sneaked a message down to Dick on my dinner card—was it all right?—and he sent back word during the game that Trotter only smoked cigars; so before the ices were passed I shuffled Mr. Trotter's and Mr. Mason's names,—I'd given Mason the cigar case,—and just as Jordan signalled to me the transfer had been successfully effected, I heard Trotter casually observe he'd been obliged to give up smoking entirely—doctor's orders!
[They laugh punctiliously, rather bored by Blanche's long account.
Mrs. Hunter. Isn't the tree stunning?
Clara. [Getting down from her chair.] It makes the table look like one of Mr. Trotter's "informal little dinners."
Miss Godesby. They say he has one of those men who arrange shop windows decorate his dinner table for him!
Blanche. The only time I ever dined with him I was really ashamed to go home with my dinner favor—it was so gorgeous! And there were such big bunches of violets in the finger bowls there wasn't room for your little finger.
Miss Godesby. You never saw such a lot of decoration! The game have ribbon garters on their legs, and even the raw oysters wear corsage bouquets! [To Mrs. Hunter.] I hope you don't mind what we're saying, Mrs. Hunter?
Mrs. Hunter. [Offended.] I must say I do mind very much.—[A pause.]—because—[A second pause.]—well, I am going to marry Mr. Trotter—[All, not believing her, laugh merrily.] You are all very rude!
Miss Godesby. Not on the level! Not Trotter!