When you entered she must have murmured a numeral to herself as she shook your hand.
There is more than one house in New York where I have grave doubts if the host and hostess are quite sure of my name when I dine there; after an abstracted welcome, they rarely put themselves out to entertain their guests.Black coats and evening dresses alternate in pleasing perspective down the long line of their table.Their gold plate is out, and the CHEF has been allowed to work his own sweet will, so they give themselves no further trouble.
Why does not some one suggest to these amphitrions to send fifteen dollars in prettily monogrammed envelopes to each of their friends, requesting them to expend it on a dinner.The compliment would be quite as personal, and then the guests might make up little parties to suit themselves, which would be much more satisfactory than going "in" with some one chosen at hazard from their host's visiting list, and less fatiguing to that gentleman and his family.