There were gaps of silence in the talk, as the dinner got on, that made me feel personally uncomfortable.  When they did use their tongues again, they used them innocently, in the most unfortunate manner and to the worst possible purpose.  Mr. Candy, the doctor, for instance, said more unlucky things than I ever knew him to say before.  Take one sample of the way in which he went on, and you will understand what I had to put up with at the sideboard, officiating as I was in the character of a man who had the prosperity of the festival at heart.

One of our ladies present at dinner was worthy Mrs. Threadgall, widow of the late Professor of that name.  Talking of her deceased husband perpetually, this good lady never mentioned to strangers that he was deceased.  She thought, I suppose, that every able-bodied adult in England ought to know as much as that.  In one of the gaps of silence, somebody mentioned the dry and rather nasty subject of human anatomy; whereupon good Mrs. Threadgall straightway brought in her late husband as usual, without mentioning that he was dead.  Anatomy she described as the Professor’s favourite recreation in his leisure hours.  As ill-luck would have it, Mr. Candy, sitting opposite (who knew nothing of the deceased gentleman), heard her.  Being the most polite of men, he seized the opportunity of assisting the Professor’s anatomical amusements on the spot.

“They have got some remarkably fine skeletons lately at the College of Surgeons,” says Mr. Candy, across the table, in a loud cheerful voice.  “I strongly recommend the Professor, ma’am, when he next has an hour to spare, to pay them a visit.”

You might have heard a pin fall.  The company (out of respect to the Professor’s memory) all sat speechless.  I was behind Mrs. Threadgall at the time, plying her confidentially with a glass of hock.  She dropped her head, and said in a very low voice, “My beloved husband is no more.”

Unluckily Mr. Candy, hearing nothing, and miles away from suspecting the truth, went on across the table louder and politer than ever.

“The Professor may not be aware,” says he, “that the card of a member of the College will admit him, on any day but Sunday, between the hours of ten and four.”

Mrs. Threadgall dropped her head right into her tucker, and, in a lower voice still, repeated the solemn words, “My beloved husband is no more.”

I winked hard at Mr. Candy across the table.  Miss Rachel touched his arm.  My lady looked unutterable things at him.  Quite useless!  On he went, with a cordiality that there was no stopping anyhow.  “I shall be delighted,” says he, “to send the Professor my card, if you will oblige me by mentioning his present address.”

“His present address, sir, is the grave,” says Mrs. Threadgall, suddenly losing her temper, and speaking with an emphasis and fury that made the glasses ring again.  “The Professor has been dead these ten years.”