The new order delighted James, who felt young again, and his hastily
improvised suppers were models of unpretentious succulence. There were
always sherry and whiskey in the handsome old decanters on the sideboards;
and, at the equally perfect little dinners, for a time, two bottles of
Alexander Groome's favorite brand of champagne (which he had remembered
with satisfaction on his deathbed that he had not outlived) were brought up
from the cellar by the beaming James.
When, almost with tears, he informed his mistress' husband that the last
bottle had been served Mortimer could do no less than order up a case. He
had not the courage either to give his guests the excellent native claret
where they had formerly enjoyed imported champagne or to appear a "piker"
in the eyes of the far from democratic family butler.
He consoled himself with the reflection that it was "good business." Nearly
all the young men, married or otherwise, that came to his house (Alexina
subtly encouraged him to call it his house) were of more or less importance
or standing in the world of business and finance (two were lawyers in their
first flight, Bascom Luning and Jimmie Thorne), and the more prosperous he
appeared to be (they knew to a dollar the extent of Alexina's income) the
more apt would business be to flow his way, the less likely they would be
to suspect him of playing the stock market.
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