In much less time than it seemed my friend found me; and then I had a
little compensation for my suffering in his behalf. I could see that,
whatever people said of him, they felt the same mysterious liking at
sight of him that I had felt. He had made a little change in his dress,
and I perceived that the women thought him not only good-looking but
well-dressed. They followed him with their eyes as we went into the
dining-room, and I was rather proud of being with him, as if I somehow
shared the credit of his clothes and good looks. The Altrurian himself
seemed most struck with the head-waiter, who showed us to our places, and
while we were waiting for our supper I found a chance to explain that he
was a divinity student from one of the fresh-water colleges, and was
serving here during his summer vacation. This seemed to interest my friend
so much that I went on to tell him that many of the waitresses, whom he
saw standing there subject to the order of the guests, were country
school-mistresses in the winter.

"Ah, that is as it should be," he said; "that is the kind of thing I
expected to meet with in America."

"Yes," I responded, in my flattered national vanity, "if America means
anything at all it means the honor of work and the recognition of personal
worth everywhere. I hope you are going to make a long stay with us. We
like to have travelers visit us who can interpret the spirit of our
institutions as well as read their letter. As a rule Europeans never quite
get our point of view. Now a great many of these waitresses are ladies, in
the true sense of the word--selfrespectful, intelligent, refined, and fit
to grace--"

I was interrupted by the noise my friend made in suddenly pushing back his
chair and getting to his feet. "What's the matter?" I asked. "You're not