Waiting till his old shipmate held temporary possession of the table, Mr. Dobb approached the other gentleman in a manner which can only be described as reverential.
“I ’ope you’ll pardon me for the liberty I’m taking, sir,” he observed, “but, of course, I recognize you by sight, and I want to thank you for the treat you give me the other night.”
“I—I don’t remember,” returned the stranger. “Was it here, or at—”
“At the theayter, sir. The way you done your part!” breathed Mr. Dobb. “It was wonderful!”
“Oh, that!” exclaimed the other, with marked gratification.
“Most henjoyable, sir! Most hinteresting! Most—most hartistic!”
“Very good of you, sir, to say so. Of course it’s a strong part, to begin with, and—”
“Ah, but it takes a strong hactor to make the most of a strong part,” contended Mr. Dobb.
“Well, I must confess that that big scene I have in the second act—”
“Splendid!” roundly asserted Mr. Dobb. “I reg’lar ’ad to grip my chair.”