What was all this though--even all this--to the extraordinary dissipation
that ensued, when Kit, walking into an oyster-shop, as bold as if he lived
there, led his party into a box--a private box, fitted up with red
curtains, white tablecloth, and cruet-stand complete--and ordered a fierce
gentleman with whiskers, who acted as waiter, and called him "Christopher
Nubbles, sir," to bring three dozen of his largest-size oysters, and look
sharp about it! Then they fell to work upon the supper in earnest; and ate
and laughed and enjoyed themselves so thoroughly that it did Kit good to
see them, and made him laugh and eat likewise, from strong sympathy. But
the greatest miracle of the night was little Jacob, who ate oysters as if
he had been born and bred to the business. There was the baby, too, who
sat as good as gold, trying to force a large orange into his mouth, and
gazing intently at the lights in the chandelier,--there he was, sitting in
his mother's lap, and making indentations in his soft visage with an
oyster-shell, so contentedly that a heart of iron must have loved him! In
short, there never was a more successful supper; and when Kit proposed the
health of Mrs.
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