“Thank you. I don't often venture on a third cup, but I think I will make an exception to-night.”
“Dr. Johnson sometimes got up to a dozen, I believe,” said Herbert.
“He exceeded that number at times; but we must remember that the cups in his day barely contained a third as much as ours, so he was not so immoderate, after all. His excesses in eating were less pardonable.”
“Was he a very large eater?” asked the widow.
“He actually gorged himself, if we are to believe the accounts that have come down to us,” said Cameron. “I am afraid, Mrs. Carter, you would have found him a very unprofitable boarder.”
“But,” said Herbert; “there is one of Dr. Johnson's labors I shall not seek to imitate. I shall never attempt to write a dictionary.”
“It must be a monotonous and wearisome labor. Besides, I don't think we could either of us improve upon Webster or Worcester.”
They arose, and Mrs. Carter, who could not afford to keep a servant, herself cleared away the tea table.
“Herbert,” said the young collegian, “you mentioned one day that your father was an inventor.”
“He made one invention, but whether it will amount to anything, I don't know. He had high hopes of it, but died before he had any opportunity of testing its value.”