“Of course I do.  How is it done?”

“Everything’s in the dining-room and some of the younger ones go down.  But we boys and men go and bring up everything for the older folks.  Maybe I oughtn’t to ask you, though,” he hesitated.  “You’re company.”

“Let me be one of the family to-night,” urged Richard.  “I’ll bring up supper for Mr. and Mrs. Rufus Gray and pretend they’re my aunt and uncle, too.  I wish they were.”

“I don’t blame you; they are the jolliest ever, aren’t they?  Come on, then.  Rosy’s looking at us; maybe she’ll tell you not to go.”

They hurried away downstairs, racing with each other to the first floor.

“Hullo! you, too?” Louis greeted the guest from the farther side of the table filled with all manner of toothsome viands, where he was piling up a tray to carry aloft.  “Glad to see you’re game for the whole show.  Take one of those trays and load it with discretion—­weight equally distributed, or you’ll get into trouble on the stairs.  You’re new at this job, and it takes training.”

“I’ll manage it,” and the young man fell to work, capably assisted by a maid, who showed him what to take first and how to insure its safe delivery.

On his way up, walking cautiously on account of the cups of smoking bouillon which he was concerned lest he spill, he encountered a rose-coloured brocade frock on its way down.

“Good for you, Mr. Kendrick,” hailed Roberta’s voice, full and sweet.

He paused, balancing his tray.  “Why are you going down?  Won’t you let me bring up yours when I’ve given this to Unc—­to Mr. and Mrs. Rufus Gray?”

“Are you enjoying your task so well?  Look out, keep your eye on the tray!  There’s nothing so treacherous to carry as cups so full as those.”

“Stop laughing at me and I’ll get through all right.  All I need is a little practice.  Next time I come up I’m going to try balancing the whole thing on my hand and carrying it shoulder-high.”

“Please practice that some time when you’re all alone in your own house.”

“I’ll remember.  And please remember I’m going to bring up your supper—­and my own.  May we have it in the place where we were after the dance?”

“Yes, with six others who are waiting there already.  That will be lovely, thank you.  I’ll be back by the time you have everything up.”

“Of all the hard creatures to corner,” thought Richard, going on upward with his tray.  “Anyhow, I can have the satisfaction of waiting on her, which is better than nothing.”

He found it so.  The six people in the gable corner proved to be of the younger boys and girls, and, though they were all eyes and ears for himself and Roberta, he had a sufficient sense of being paired off with the person he wanted to keep him contented.  They ate and drank merrily enough, and the food upon his plate seemed to Richard the best he had ever tasted at an affair of the kind.