As if this were
not enough, Sir James, whose temper had fairly boiled over, and to the
great annoyance of less dignified ears than his own, did hurl most
indiscriminately at the heads of astonished waiters several oaths less
vile, but more pointed. 'Soup! soup!' he demanded impatiently, at the
very top of his voice--a voice that sounded like the creaking of a
door troubled with a chronic disease. Albeit there was no measuring
the latitude Sir James would have allowed his feelings to take in
demanding _soup_, and be-d----mn the astonished servants, had not Lady
Constance Caution, who sat all calm at his left, reminded him in
softest accents that 'Citizen Peabody always invoked a blessing before
he gave soup.' Sir James in response kindly thanked my lady for her
timely admonition, listened to the blessing as it fell solemnly upon
his ear, bowed and extended his plate as the spontaneous Amen
concluded the seemingly anxious moment. Calm but well directed was my
lady's rebuke; deeply did it tell upon Sir James, who, more in
imitation of Smooth's coarse manners, behaved henceforth with more
regard to the feelings of those near him.
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