I followed him through into the dining-room, where the butler was putting the finishing touches to a table which already looked like a big jewel.  The doorman turned me over to the butler, and I passed with the butler on back to where several waiters were busy polishing and assorting table utensils.  Without being asked whether I was hungry or not, I was placed at a table and given something to eat.  Before I had finished eating, I heard the laughter and talk of the guests who were arriving.  Soon afterwards I was called in to begin my work.

I passed in to where the company was gathered and went directly to the piano.  According to a suggestion from the host, I began with classic music.  During the first number there was absolute quiet and appreciative attention, and when I had finished, I was given a round of generous applause.  After that the talk and the laughter began to grow until the music was only an accompaniment to the chatter.  This, however, did not disconcert me as it once would have done, for I had become accustomed to playing in the midst of uproarious noise.  As the guests began to pay less attention to me, I was enabled to pay more to them.  There were about a dozen of them.  The men ranged in appearance from a girlish-looking youth to a big grizzled man whom everybody addressed as “Judge.”  None of the women appeared to be under thirty, but each of them struck me as being handsome.  I was not long in finding out that they were all decidedly blase.  Several of the women smoked cigarettes, and with a careless grace which showed they were used to the habit.  Occasionally a “Damn it!” escaped from the lips of some one of them, but in such a charming way as to rob it of all vulgarity.  The most notable thing which I observed was that the reserve of the host increased in direct proportion with the hilarity of his guests.  I thought that there was something going wrong which displeased him.  I afterwards learned that it was his habitual manner on such occasions.  He seemed to take cynical delight in watching and studying others indulging in excess.  His guests were evidently accustomed to his rather non-participating attitude, for it did not seem in any degree to dampen their spirits.

When dinner was served, the piano was moved and the door left open, so that the company might hear the music while eating.  At a word from the host I struck up one of my liveliest ragtime pieces.  The effect was surprising, perhaps even to the host; the ragtime music came very near spoiling the party so far as eating the dinner was concerned.  As soon as I began, the conversation suddenly stopped.  It was a pleasure to me to watch the expression of astonishment and delight that grew on the faces of everybody.  These were people—­and they represented a large class—­who were ever expecting to find happiness in novelty, each day restlessly exploring and exhausting every resource of this great city that might possibly furnish a new sensation or