Theywereallverygay，laughingovertheirmistakes，gettinginoneanother’sway，rushingintothesitting-room，theirhandsfullofplatesorknivesorglasses，anddartingoutagainaftermore。MarcusandMr。Sieppetooktheircoatsoff。OldGrannisandMissBakerpassedeachotherinthehallinaconstrainedsilence，hergrenadinebrushingagainsttheelbowofhiswrinkledfrockcoat。UncleOelbermannsuperintendedHeiseopeningthecaseofchampagnewiththegravityofamagistrate。Owgoostewasassignedthetaskoffillingthenewsaltandpeppercanistersofredandblueglass。
　　Inawonderfullyshorttimeeverythingwasready。MarcusSchoulerresumedhiscoat，wipinghisforehead，andremarking：
　　“Itellyou，I’vebeendoingCHORESforMYboard。“
　　“Todertable！“commandedMr。Sieppe。
　　Thecompanysatdownwithagreatclatter，Trinaatthefoot，thedentistatthehead，theothersarrangedthemselvesinhaphazardfashion。ButithappenedthatMarcusSchoulercrowdedintotheseatbesideSelina，towardswhichOldGranniswasdirectinghimself。Therewasbutoneotherchairvacant，andthatatthesideofMissBaker。OldGrannishesitated，puttinghishandtohischin。However，therewasnoescape。Ingreattrepidationhesatdownbesidetheretireddressmaker。Neitherofthemspoke。OldGrannisdarednotmove，butsatrigid，hiseyesrivetedonhisemptysoupplate。
　　Allatoncetherewasareportlikeapistol。Themenstartedintheirplaces。Mrs。Sieppeutteredamuffledshriek。Thewaiterfromthecheaprestaurant，hiredasMaria’sassistant，rosefromabendingposture，achampagnebottlefrothinginhishand；hewasgrinningfromeartoear。
　　“Don’tgetscairt，“hesaid，reassuringly，“itain’tloaded。“
　　Whenalltheirglasseshadbeenfilled，Marcusproposedthehealthofthebride，“standingup。“Theguestsroseanddrank。Hardlyoneofthemhadevertastedchampagnebefore。
　　Themoment’ssilenceafterthetoastwasbrokenbyMcTeagueexclaimingwithalongbreathofsatisfaction：“That’sthebestbeerIeverdrank。“
　　Therewasaroaroflaughter。EspeciallywasMarcustickledoverthedentist’sblunder；hewentoffinaveryspasmofmirth，bangingthetablewithhisfist，laughinguntilhiseyeswatered。AllthroughthemealhekeptbreakingoutintocacklingimitationsofMcTeague’swords：“That’sthebestBEERIeverdrank。Oh，Lord，ain’tthatabreak！“
　　Whatawonderfulsupperthatwas！Therewasoystersoup；
　　therewereseabassandbarracuda；therewasagiganticroastgoosestuffedwithchestnuts；therewereegg-plantandsweetpotatoes——MissBakercalledthem“yams。“Therewascalf’sheadinoil，overwhichMr。Sieppewentintoecstasies；therewaslobstersalad；therewerericepudding，andstrawberryicecream，andwinejelly，andstewedprunes，andcocoanuts，andmixednuts，andraisins，andfruit，andtea，andcoffee，andmineralwaters，andlemonade。
　　Fortwohourstheguestsate；theirfacesred，theirelbowswide，theperspirationbeadingtheirforeheads。Allaroundthetableonesawthesameincessantmovementofjawsandheardthesameuninterruptedsoundofchewing。ThreetimesHeisepassedhisplateformoreroastgoose。Mr。Sieppedevouredthecalf’sheadwithlongbreathsofcontentment；
　　McTeagueateforthesakeofeating，withoutchoice；
　　everythingwithinreachofhishandsfounditswayintohisenormousmouth。
　　Therewasbutlittleconversation，andthatonlyofthefood；oneexchangedopinionswithone’sneighborastothesoup，theegg-plant，orthestewedprunes。Soontheroombecameverywarm，afaintmoistureappeareduponthewindows，theairwasheavywiththesmellofcookedfood。
　　AteverymomentTrinaorMrs。Sieppeurgedsomeoneofthecompanytohavehisorherplaterefilled。Theywereconstantlyemployedindishingpotatoesorcarvingthegooseorladlinggravy。Thehiredwaitercircledaroundtheroom，hislimpnapkinoverhisarm，hishandsfullofplatesanddishes。Hewasagreatjoker；hehadnamesofhisownfordifferentarticlesoffood，thatsentgalesoflaughteraroundthetable。Whenhespokeofabunchofparsleyas“scenery，“Heiseallbutstrangledhimselfoveramouthfulofpotato。OutinthekitchenMariaMacapadidtheworkofthree，herfacescarlet，hersleevesrolledup；everynowandthensheutteredshrillbutunintelligibleoutcries，supposedlyaddressedtothewaiter。
　　“UncleOelbermann，“saidTrina，“letmegiveyouanotherhelpingofprunes。“
　　TheSieppespaidgreatdeferencetoUncleOelbermann，asindeeddidthewholecompany。EvenMarcusSchoulerloweredhisvoicewhenheaddressedhim。Atthebeginningofthemealhehadnudgedtheharness-makerandhadwhisperedbehindhishand，noddinghisheadtowardthewholesaletoydealer，“Gotthirtythousanddollarsinthebank；has，forafact。“
　　“Don’thavemuchtosay，“observedHeise。
　　“No，no。That’shisway；neveropenshisface。“
　　Astheeveningworeon，thegasandtwolampswerelit。Thecompanywerestilleating。Themen，gorgedwithfood，hadunbuttonedtheirvests。McTeague’scheeksweredistended，hiseyeswide，hishuge，salientjawmovedwithamachine-
　　likeregularity；atintervalshedrewaseriesofshortbreathsthroughhisnose。Mrs。Sieppewipedherforeheadwithhernapkin。
　　“Hey，dere，poy，gifmesomemoreoafdat——whatyoucall——
　　’bubble-water。’“
　　Thatwashowthewaiterhadspokenofthechampagne——
　　“bubble-water。“Theguestshadshoutedapplause，“Outasight。“Hewasaheavyjosherwasthatwaiter。
　　Bottleafterbottlewasopened，thewomenstoppingtheirearsasthecorksweredrawn。Allofasuddenthedentistutteredanexclamation，clappinghishandtohisnose，hisfacetwistingsharply。
　　“Mac，whatisit？“criedTrinainalarm。
　　“Thatchampagnecametomynose，“hecried，hiseyeswatering。“Itstingslikeeverything。“
　　“GreatBEER，ain’tut？“shoutedMarcus。
　　“Now，Mark，“remonstratedTrinainalowvoice。“Now，Mark，youjustshutup；thatisn’tfunnyanymore。Idon’twantyoushouldmakefunofMac。Hecalleditbeeronpurpose。
　　IguessHEknows。“
　　ThroughoutthemealoldMissBakerhadoccupiedherselflargelywithOwgoosteandthetwins，whohadbeengivenatablebythemselves——theblackwalnuttablebeforewhichtheceremonyhadtakenplace。Thelittledressmakerwascontinuallyturningaboutinherplace，inquiringofthechildreniftheywantedforanything；inquiriestheyrarelyansweredotherthanbystare，fixed，ox-like，expressionless。
　　SuddenlythelittledressmakerturnedtoOldGrannisandexclaimed：
　　“I’msoveryfondoflittlechildren。“
　　“Yes，yes，they’reveryinteresting。I’mveryfondofthem，too。“
　　Thenextinstantbothoftheoldpeoplewereoverwhelmedwithconfusion。What！Theyhadspokentoeachotherafteralltheseyearsofsilence；theyhadforthefirsttimeaddressedremarkstoeachother。
　　Theolddressmakerwasinatormentofembarrassment。Howwasitshehadcometospeak？Shehadneitherplannednorwishedit。Suddenlythewordshadescapedher，hehadanswered，anditwasallover——overbeforetheyknewit。
　　OldGrannis’sfingerstrembledonthetableledge，hisheartbeatheavily，hisbreathfellshort。Hehadactuallytalkedtothelittledressmaker。Thatpossibilitytowhichhehadlookedforward，itseemedtohimforyears——thatcompanionship，thatintimacywithhisfellow-lodger，thatdelightfulacquaintancewhichwasonlytoripenatsomefardistanttime，hecouldnotexactlysaywhen——behold，ithadsuddenlycometoahead，hereinthisover-crowded，over-heatedroom，inthemidstofallthisfeeding，surroundedbyodorsofhotdishes，accompaniedbythesoundsofincessantmastication。Howdifferenthehadimagineditwouldbe！Theyweretobealone——heandMissBaker——intheeveningsomewhere，withdrawnfromtheworld，veryquiet，verycalmandpeaceful。Theirtalkwastobeoftheirlives，theirlostillusions，notofotherpeople’schildren。
　　Thetwooldpeopledidnotspeakagain。Theysattheresidebyside，nearerthantheyhadeverbeenbefore，motionless，abstracted；theirthoughtsfarawayfromthatsceneoffeasting。Theywerethinkingofeachotherandtheywereconsciousofit。Timid，withthetimidityoftheirsecondchildhood，constrainedandembarrassedbyeachother’spresence，theywere，nevertheless，inalittleElysiumoftheirowncreating。Theywalkedhandinhandinadeliciousgardenwhereitwasalwaysautumn；togetherandalonetheyentereduponthelongretardedromanceoftheircommonplaceanduneventfullives。
　　Atlastthatgreatsupperwasover，everythinghadbeeneaten；theenormousroastgoosehaddwindledtoaveryskeleton。Mr。Sieppehadreducedthecalf’sheadtoamereskull；arowofemptychampagnebottles——“deadsoldiers，“asthefacetiouswaiterhadcalledthem——linedthemantelpiece。
　　Nothingofthestewedprunesremainedbutthejuice，whichwasgiventoOwgoosteandthetwins。Theplatterswereascleanasiftheyhadbeenwashed；crumbsofbread，potatoparings，nutshells，andbitsofcakelitteredthetable；
　　coffeeandice-creamstainsandspotsofcongealedgravymarkedthepositionofeachplate。Itwasadevastation，apillage；thetablepresentedtheappearanceofanabandonedbattlefield。
　　“Ouf，“criedMrs。Sieppe，pushingback，“Ihafeatunundeatun，ach，Gott，howIhafeatun！“
　　“Ah，dotkaf’shet，“murmuredherhusband，passinghistongueoverhislips。
　　Thefacetiouswaiterhaddisappeared。HeandMariaMacapaforegatheredinthekitchen。Theydrewuptothewashboardofthesink，feastingofftheremnantsofthesupper，slicesofgoose，theremainsofthelobstersalad，andhalfabottleofchampagne。Theywereobligedtodrinkthelatterfromteacups。
　　“Here’show，“saidthewaitergallantly，asheraisedhistea-cup，bowingtoMariaacrossthesink。“Hark，“headded，“they’resinginginside。“
　　Thecompanyhadleftthetableandhadassembledaboutthemelodeon，whereSelinawasseated。Atfirsttheyattemptedsomeofthepopularsongsoftheday，butwereobligedtogiveoverasnoneofthemknewanyofthewordsbeyondthefirstlineofthechorus。Finallytheypitchedupon“Nearer，MyGod，toThee，“astheonlysongwhichtheyallknew。Selinasangthe“alto，“verymuchoffthekey；Marcusintonedthebass，scowlingfiercely，hischindrawnintohiscollar。Theysanginveryslowtime。Thesongbecameadirge，alamentable，prolongedwailofdistress：
　　“Nee-rah，myGahd，toThee，Nee-rahtoThee-ah。“
　　Attheendofthesong，UncleOelbermannputonhishatwithoutawordofwarning。Instantlytherewasahush。Theguestsrose。
　　“Notgoingsosoon，UncleOelbermann？“protestedTrina，politely。Heonlynodded。Marcussprangforwardtohelphimwithhisovercoat。Mr。Sieppecameupandthetwomenshookhands。
　　ThenUncleOelbermanndeliveredhimselfofanoracularphrase。Nodoubthehadbeenmeditatingitduringthesupper。AddressingMr。Sieppe，hesaid：
　　“Youhavenotlostadaughter，buthavegainedason。“
　　Theseweretheonlywordshehadspokentheentireevening。