Here the bell rang for supper, and the party adjourned to the dining-room. There were seats for four. Bessie sat opposite her father, having on one side Maurice, on the other Tom. The latter, I am bound to say, felt a little embarrassed. He knew that the usages of the family he was visiting must be different from those to which he was accustomed, and he was afraid he might make some blunder. He resolved, therefore, to watch Maurice carefully, and do whatever he did. Eating with a fork, he thought odd, and not nearly as convenient as a knife. Still, he did it to avoid mistakes. Maurice watched him, hoping to detect him in blunders, but to no purpose. He was, perhaps, slightly awkward, but committed no breaches of etiquette. "This is Mr. Grey, Maurice," introduced Mr. Benton, at the commencement of the meal. "I have the honor of knowing Mr. Grey," said Maurice, stiffly. There was a slight emphasis on the word honor, which Mr. Benton did not notice. After supper Mr. Benton said: "I am obliged to go out on a little business, but you young people can amuse yourselves without me. Perhaps Mr. Grey would like to hear you play, Bessie." "Perhaps he plays himself?" suggested Maurice, with a sneer. "Do you?" asked Bessie. "I can play on a hand-organ," answered Tom. "Professionally?" inquired Maurice. "I never was in the business," said our hero. "Is it profitable?" "How should I know?" said Maurice, angrily. They adjourned to a pleasant sitting-room, where there was a piano, and Bessie took her place at the piano. "I am not much of a player," she said, "but will do my best." After a while she began to sing. Her voice was pleasant, but not remarkable. "I don't like singing alone," she said, at last. "Mr. Grey will sing with you," said Maurice, maliciously. "Will you?" pleaded Bessie, turning to our hero. "If you'll play that," said Tom, pointing to one of the popular songs of the day, which he had caught in the street. "Of course I will." I don't claim that Tom was a remarkable singer; but his voice was of good quality, and harmonized well with Bessie's. He sang correctly, also, and she was much pleased. "How well you sing, Gilbert," she said. "Can't you sing something else?" They sang two other popular songs, to the great dissatisfaction of Maurice, who saw himself quite eclipsed by the new arrival. "Isn't he splendid, Maurice?" asked Bessie, after Tom had taken leave. "He's a low fellow!" said Maurice. "I wish you were half as handsome and agreeable," said Bessie, warmly. Maurice went to bed in a very unhappy frame of mind. Tom, on the other hand, felt, as he returned to his unfashionable lodgings, that he had never before had so pleasant an evening. CHAPTER XII. TOM GAINS A LITTLE INFORMATION.