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. Your holiday has caused trouble -- hasn't it, John?"
"More than a bit," agreed Uncle Jack, "but well get straightened out. No hurry. Give the lad a chance to find himself."
"Surely, surely. Thumb in the dike."
Thorby wondered what a dike was, but Leda came up and placed her hand on his elbow. She steered him to the banquet hall; others followed. Thorby sat at one end of a long table with Uncle Jack at the other; Aunt Jennifer was on Thorby's right and Leda on his left. Aunt Jennifer started asking questions and supplying answers. He admitted that he had just left the Guard, she had trouble understanding that he had not been an officer; he let it ride and mentioned nothing about Jubbulpore -- Leda had made him wary of the subject. It did not matter; he asked a question about New Zealand and received a guidebook lecture.
Then Leda turned from Judge Bruder and spoke to Thorby; Aunt Jennifer turned to the man on her right.
The tableware was in part strange, especially chop tongs and skewers. But spoons were spoons and forks were forks; by keeping his eye on Leda he got by. Food was served formally, but he had seen Grandmother so served; table manners were not great trouble to a man coached by Fritz's sharp-tongued kindness.
Not until the end was he stumped. The Butler-in-Chief presented him with an enormous goblet, splashed wetness in it and waited. Leda said softly, "Taste it, nod, and put it down
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