"Did you call him 'Charlie' and allow him to call you 'Oscar'?"
"Yes."
"How old was Parker?"
"I don't keep a census of people's ages. It would be vulgar to ask people their age."
"Where did you first meet Parker?"
"I invited Taylor to Kettner's[14] on the occasion of my birthday, and told him to bring what friends he liked. He brought Parker and his brother."
"Did you know Parker was a gentleman's servant out of work, and his brother a groom?"
"No; I did not."
"But you did know that Parker was not a literary character or an artist, and that culture was not his strong point?"