t fly with his own hand the corks of two
champagne bottles, poured out, and drank with the ladies. After they had
refreshed themselves with all kinds of delicious eating, amid the most
lively conversation, some person, who called himself Noah's grandson,
was announced, requesting permission to exhibit to the company various
strange animals and other beautiful curiosities, which had been found in
the ark. The grandson of Noah was called in by a great majority of
voices, and a face presented itself at the door which, with the
exception of a certain grey beard, bore a great resemblance to Jeremias
Munter. His menagerie, and his cabinet of art, were set out in another
room, into which the company were conducted; and there many
strangely-formed creatures were exhibited, and little scenes
represented, to which Noah's grandson gave explanations and made
speeches which were almost as humorous and witty (to be quite so was
impossible) as those of Japhet, in that wonderful and exquisite book,
"Noah's Ark."[12] Two other grandsons of Noah, who bore no resemblance to
any acquaintance of the family, assisted at this exhibition, at the end
of which Noah's learned grandson gave to each of the spectators a little
souvenir from the contents of the ark, and that with so much tact, that
every one received precisely the thing which gave him pleasure. Louise,
moreover, received a remarkable sermon, which was preached by Father
Noah himself on the first Sunday of his abode in the ark. But near the
title-page of this same sermon she found a piece of poetry which
evidently bore a later date. Louise did not, however, read it then, but
blushing very deeply, put it carefully by.

The whole affair might have been as merry as it was droll, had not
Louise--herself the most important person in the entertainment--been in
no state of mind to enjoy it. But although she used her utmost endeavour
to take part in all the diversion, and to appear cheerful, she became
every moment more depressed; and when at last the ices came, and the
waiter, with the utmost cordiality beaming from his eyes, urged her to
take a vanilla-ice, she was only just able to taste it, upon which she
set it down, rushed out of the room, and burst into a convulsive fit of
weeping. This was a thing so unusual with Louise, that it occasioned a
general perplexity. Host, hostess, maid, waiter, Noah's grandson, all
threw off their characters; and all illusion, as well as all reality of
fes