I was showing Celia a few fancy strokes on the billiard table. The other
members of the house-party were in the library, learning their parts for
some approaching theatricals--that is to say, they were sitting round
the fire and saying to each other, "This _is_ a rotten play." We had
been offered the position of auditors to several of the company, but we
were going to see _Parsifal_ on the next day, and I was afraid that the
constant excitement would be bad for Celia.
"Why don't you ask me to play with you?" she asked. "You never teach mo
anything."
"There's ingratitude. Why, I gave you your first lesson at golf only
last Thursday."
"So you did. I know golf. Now show me billiards."