I had determined
to get inside of the fellow at this sitting, and thought the more
retired table better for the purpose. Diffendorfer jumped to his feet on
hearing the laughter, peered into the room, and, picking up his wet
umbrella, said:
"'Let's go in there--more people.' I followed him, and drew out another
chair from a table opposite one at which Roscoff, Woods, and two or
three of the boys were dining. They all nudged each other when we came
in, and a wink went around, but they didn't speak. They behaved
precisely as if I had a girl in tow and wanted to be left alone.
"This dinner was exactly like the first one. Diffendorfer ordered the
same wine--Valpocelli, '82, and ate each course that Auguste brought
him, with only a word now and then about the weather, the number of
people in Venice, and the dishes. The only time when his face lighted up
was when a chap named Cruthers, from Munich, who arrived that morning
and who hadn't been in Venice for years, came up and slapped me on the
back and hollered out as he dragged up a chair and sat down beside me:
'Glad to see you, old man; what are you drinking?'
"I reached for the '82--there was only a glass left--and was moving the
bottle within reach of my friend's hand when Diffendorfer said
to Auguste:
"'Bring another quart of '82;' then he turned and said to the Munich
chap: 'Sorry, sir, it isn't the '71, but they haven't a bottle in
the house.
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