"
He was at his own small table in the front room overlooking the
street when he spoke--his by right of long use, as it was also of
Morris, MacFarlane, Wright, old Partridge the painter, and Knight
the sculptor. For years this group of Centurions, after circling
the rooms on meeting nights, criticising the pictures and helping
themselves to the punch, had dropped into these same seats by the
side of Peter.
And these were not the only chairs tacitly recognized as carrying
special privileges by reason of long usage. Over in the corner
between the two rooms could be found Bayard Taylor's chair--his
for years, from which he dispensed wisdom, adventure and raillery
to a listening coterie--King, MacDonough and Collins among them,
while near the stairs, his great shaggy head glistening in the
overhead light, Parke Godwin held court, with Sterling, Martin and
Porter, to say nothing of still older habitues who in the years of
their membership were as much a part of the fittings of the club
as the smoke-begrimed portraits which lined its walls.
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