“So, at the next burst of merriment, he affected to have entered into the joke, threw himself back in his chair and laughed as loudly as they did. The men stared for a second, then frowned, and then one of them shouted something to him very loudly, which he did not understand; so he placed his hand on his heart, put on an expressive smile, and offered to shake hands. Thought he, that will be irresistible! But he was mistaken. The other man now called loudly to the waiter, and a moment after, Franz found himself being conveyed by the said waiter through the doorway into the hall, with the remark resounding in his ears:—
“‘What a foolish young gentleman you must be! Why can’t you keep out of people’s way?’
“‘My good friend,’ cried Mr. Franz, ‘that’s not my plan at present. I’m trying to make myself agreeable.’
“‘Oh—pooh!—bother agreeable,’ cried the waiter. ‘What’s the use of making yourself agreeable, if you’re always in the way? Here!—step back, sir! don’t you see the tray coming?’
“Franz had not noticed it, and would probably have got a thump on the head from it, if his friend the waiter had not pulled him back. The man was a real good-natured, smiling German, and said:—
“‘Come, young gentleman, here’s a candle;—you’ve a bed-room here, of course. Now, you take my advice, and go to bed. You will be out of the way there, and perhaps you’ll get up wiser to-morrow.’
“Franz took the candlestick mechanically, but, said he:—
“‘I understood there was to be dancing here tonight, and I can dance, and—’
“‘Oh, pooh! bother dancing,’ interrupted the waiter. ‘What’s the use of dancing, if you’re to be in everybody’s way, and I know you will; you can’t help it. Here, be advised for once, and go to bed. I’ll bring you up some coffee before long. Go quietly up now—mind. Good night.’
“Two minutes afterwards, Mr. Franz found himself walking up-stairs, as the waiter had ordered him to do, though he muttered something about ‘officious fellow’ as he went along.