, and we shall have
dinner ready before we can turn round. In England, being a poet, you
probably feast upon butterflies' wings and the bloom of peaches;
but----"

"On the contrary," cried H. C. hastily; "I have an excellent appetite
and love substantial dishes. Crystallised violets and the bloom of
peaches I leave to my aunt, Lady Maria. Like George III. my favourite
repast is boiled mutton and apple dumplings; and like the king I have
never been able to understand how the apples get inside the pastry. That
does not affect their flavour. So we will, if you please, make ready for
dinner. Do you patronise the French or Spanish cuisine? Oh, I am
indifferent. It is a mere matter of butter versus oil, and both are
good."

Then they went off in a procession of two, the landlord carrying the
flambeau. "We will look upon it as the torch of genius," said the
latter, "and I am proud to bear it. But methinks, sir, it should be in
your hands." After this we heard only receding footsteps.

The scene presently changed to the dining-room. At first we had made for
the wrong room devoted to the humbler folk indoors and out. Here, too,
the landlord and his own people took their meals; and once or twice,
casting a glance in passing, it was a pleasure to see how madame's broad
buxom face and capacious form was doing justice to the good things on
the festive board. Her husband and children did not take after her; they
were all very much after Pharaoh's lean kine: she could have sheltered
them all under her ample wing.

We were rather horrified on entering. A few curious looking people, very
much _sans gene_, sat at a table in a state of disorder. Even H. C.'s
capacious appetite would have fled at the aspect of things. From a door
beyond opening to the kitchen came sounds of fizzing and frying and
savoury fumes. The chef and his imps were flitting about excitedly.

We were beginning to think that after all our lines had fallen in
strange places, when the landlord appeared at the door, pounced upon us,
and marshalled us off the premises.

"That is not for you, sir," he said. "We are obliged to have two rooms.
A certain number will neither pay fair prices nor heed good manners, and
these we place below the salt, as I have read in some of your English
books. I put up with them because it would not answer me to have three
rooms. And then we have our meals when nobody else has theirs, and
waiting and running to and fro is over for the mom