But at dinner, when, after breakfasting at twelve o'clock on a bottle of soda-water and a cup of strong coffee, and lunching at two on another bottle of soda-water mingled with brandy, he was finding fault with everything on the table, and declaring we must change our cook, I thought the time was come.
'It is the same cook as we had before you went, Arthur,' said I.

'You were generally pretty well satisfied with her then.' 'You must have been letting her get into slovenly habits, then, while I was away.

It is enough to poison one, eating such a disgusting mess!' And he pettishly pushed away his plate, and leant back despairingly in his chair.
'I think it is you that are changed, not she,' said I, but with the utmost gentleness, for I did not wish to irritate him.
'It may be so,' he replied carelessly, as he seized a tumbler of wine and water, adding, when he had tossed it off, 'for I have an infernal fire in my veins, that all the waters of the ocean cannot quench!' 'What kindled it ?' I was about to ask, but at that moment the butler entered and began to take away the things.
'Be quick, Benson; do have done with that infernal clatter!' cried his master.

'And don't bring the cheese, unless you want to make me sick outright!' Benson, in some surprise, removed the cheese, and did his best to effect a quiet and speedy clearance of the rest; but, unfortunately, there was a rumple in the carpet, caused by the hasty pushing back of his master's chair, at which he tripped and stumbled, causing a rather alarming concussion with the trayful of crockery in his hands, but no positive damage, save the fall and breaking of a sauce tureen; but, to my unspeakable shame and dismay, Arthur turned furiously around upon him, and swore at him with savage coarseness.

The poor man turned pale, and visibly trembled as he stooped to pick up the fragments.
'He couldn't help it, Arthur,' said I; 'the carpet caught his foot, and there's no great harm done.