The letter dropped upon the table. John stood for a moment dazed.
Suddenly he began to laugh. Then he remembered the messenger-boy, gave
him half a crown, and closed the door. He came back into the room and
took his place at the table. He looked at the empty chair by his side,
looked at the full glass on the sideboard. It seemed to him that he was
past all sensations. The waiter came in silently.
"You can serve the dinner," John ordered, shaking out his napkin. "Open
the champagne before you go."
"You will be alone, sir?" the man inquired.
"I shall be alone," John answered.