When Diotti and old Sanders left the house they walked rapidly down Fifth Avenue. It was after eleven, and the streets were bare of pedestrians, but blinking-eyed cabs came up the avenue, looking at a distance like a trail of Megatheriums, gliding through the darkness. The piercing wind made the men hasten their steps, the old man by a semi-rotary motion keeping up with the longer strides and measured tread of the younger.
When they reached Fourteenth Street, the elder said, ``I live but a block from here,'' pointing eastward; ``what do you say to a hot toddy? It will warm the cockles of your heart; come over to my house and I'll mix you the best drink in New York.''
The younger thought the suggestion a good one and they turned toward the house of old Sanders.
It was a neat, red brick, two-story house, well in from the street, off the line of the more pretentious buildings on either side. As the old man opened the iron gate, the police officer on the beat passed; he peered into the faces of the men, and recognizing Sanders, said, ``tough night, sir.''
``Very,'' replied the addressed.
``All good old gentlemen should be in bed at this hour,'' said the officer, lifting one foot after the other in an effort to keep warm, and in so doing showing little terpsichorean grace.
``It's only the shank of the evening, officer,'' rejoined the old man, as he fumbled with the latch key and finally opened the door. The two men entered and the officer passed on.
Every man has a fad. One will tell you he sees nothing in billiards or pool or golf or tennis, but will grow enthusiastic over the scientific possibilities of mumble-peg; you agree with him, only you substitute ``skittles'' for ``mumble-peg.''
Old Sanders' fad was mixing toddies and punches.
``The nectar of the gods pales into nothingness when compared with a toddy such as I make,'' said he. ``Ambrosia may have been all right for the degenerates of the old Grecian and Roman days, but an American gentleman demands a toddy--a hot toddy.'' And then he proceeded with circumspection and dignity to demonstrate the process of decocting that mysterious beverage.
The two men took off their overcoats and went into the sitting-room. A pile of logs burned brightly in the fire-place.
The old man threw another on the burning heap, filled the kettle with water and hung it over the fire. Next he went to the sideboard and brought forth the various ingredients for the toddy.
``How do you like America?'' said the elder, with commonplace indifference, as he crunched a lump of sugar in the bottom of the glass, dissolving the particles with a few drops of water.
``Very much, indeed,'' said the Tuscan, with the air of a man who had answered the question before.
``Great country for girls!'' said Sanders, pouring a liberal quantity of Old Tom gin in the glass and placing it where it gradually would get warm.
``And for men!'' responded Diotti, enthusiastically.
``Men don't amount to much here, women run everything,'' retorted the elder, while he repeated the process of preparing the sugar and gin in the second glass. The kettle began to sing.
``That's music for you,'' chuckled the old man, raising the lid to see if the water had boiled sufficiently. ``Do you know I think a dinner horn and a singing kettle beat a symphony all hollow for real down-right melody,'' and he lifted the kettle from the fire-place.
Diotti smiled.
With mathematical accuracy the old man filled the two tumblers with boiling water.
``Try that,'' handing a glass of the toddy to Diotti; ``you will find it all right,'' and the old man drew an arm-chair toward the fire-place, smacking his lips in anticipation.
The violinist placed his chair closer to the fire and sipped the drink.
``Your country is noted for its beautiful women?''
``We have exquisite types of femininity in Tuscany,'' said the young man, with patriotic ardor.
``Any as fine looking as--as--as--well, say the young lady we dined with to-night?''
``Miss Wallace?'' queried the Tuscan.
``Yes, Miss Wallace,'' this rather impatiently.
``She is very beautiful,'' said Diotti, with solemn admiration.
``Have you ever seen any one prettier?'' questioned the old man, after a second prolonged sip.
``I have no desire to see any one more beautiful,'' said the violinist, feeling that the other was trying to draw him out, and determined not to yield.
``You will pardon the inquisitiveness of an old man, but are not you musicians a most impressionable lot?''
``We are human,'' answered the violinist.
``I imagined you were like sailors and had a sweetheart in every port.''
