engaged in languid perusal of the bill
of fare.

This latter document was a great puzzle to our friends, who, on
reflecting that its bewildering categories had relation to breakfast
alone, had an uneasy prevision of an encyclopedic dinner list. They
found a great deal of entertainment at the hotel, an enormous wooden
structure, for the erection of which it seemed to them that the
virgin forests of the West must have been terribly deflowered. It was
perforated from end to end with immense bare corridors, through which a
strong draught was blowing--bearing along wonderful figures of ladies
in white morning dresses and clouds of Valenciennes lace, who seemed
to float down the long vistas with expanded furbelows, like angels
spreading their wings. In front was a gigantic veranda, upon which an
army might have encamped--a vast wooden terrace, with a roof as lofty
as the nave of a cathedral. Here our young Englishmen enjoyed, as they
supposed, a glimpse of American society, which was distributed over the
measureless expanse in a variety of sedentary attitudes, and appeared
to consist largely of pretty young girls, dressed as if for a fete
champetre, swaying to and fro in rocking chairs, fanning themselves with
large straw fans, and enjoying an enviable exemption from social cares.
Lord Lambeth had a theory, which it might be interesting to trace to
its origin, that it would be not only agreeable, but easily possible, to
enter into relations with one of these young ladies; and his companion
(as he had done a couple of days before) found occasion to check the
young nobleman's colloquial impulses.

"You had better take care," said Percy Beaumont, "or you will have an
offended father or brother pulling out a bowie knife."

"I assure you it is all right," Lord Lambeth replied. "You know the
Americans come to these big hotels to make acquaintances."

"I know nothing about it, and neither do you," said his kinsman,
who, like a clever man, had begun to perceive that the observation of
American society demanded a readjustment of one's standard.

"Hang it, then let's find out!" cried Lord Lambeth with some impatience.
"You know I don't want to miss anything."

"We will find out," said Percy Beaumont very reasonably. "We will go and
see Mrs. Westgate and make all proper inquiries."

And so the two inquiring Englishmen, who had this lady's address
inscribed in her husband's hand upon a card, descended from the veranda
of the big