d,
inspirited by sweet music, and soon reached a spacious hall, set out
with tables stretching along its whole length, and bedecked with the
choicest viands, delicately overlaid with fresh-plucked flowers,
impregnating the very air with their delicious odors. Indeed they
looked more like beds of bright flowers trellised with silver and
gold. A din of confused voices resounded throughout the hall as all
took seats who could, while not a few added to the confusion by
appropriating to themselves the seats of others. Mr. Smooth, being a
man of the world, and Mr. Pierce's minister extraordinary, took the
best seat he could find, and made himself quite at home. Opposite him
loomed out the hard, knotty face of Sir James Muke, who, suffering
under the most painful grievance of having been deprived of his seat,
so generously provided in a space to the right of the chairman, let
loose some very unfashionable and badly moulded oaths. 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.

"It was now time to discuss the well-ordained set-out of viands.
Round after round, the most delicious, came on with that disorder so
characteristic of English servants. It will, Uncle Sam, be scarcely
necessary for Smooth to add that great skill was displayed in safely
depositing the meats and drinks in nature's most appropriate depot.
Most cheerfully was it performed to the a