He was a great joker; he had names of his own for different articles of food, that sent gales of laughter around the table.

When he spoke of a bunch of parsley as "scenery," Heise all but strangled himself over a mouthful of potato.

Out in the kitchen Maria Macapa did the work of three, her face scarlet, her sleeves rolled up; every now and then she uttered shrill but unintelligible outcries, supposedly addressed to the waiter.
"Uncle Oelbermann," said Trina, "let me give you another helping of prunes." The Sieppes paid great deference to Uncle Oelbermann, as indeed did the whole company.

Even Marcus Schouler lowered his voice when he addressed him.

At the beginning of the meal he had nudged the harness-maker and had whispered behind his hand, nodding his head toward the wholesale toy dealer, "Got thirty thousand dollars in the bank; has, for a fact." "Don't have much to say," observed Heise.
"No, no.