r portion
of female figure--probably a Bacchante." Well, how they know who it's
intended for, when there ain't more than a bit of her skirt left,
beats _me_!

_Her Companion_. Oh, I s'pose they've got to put a name to it of
_some_ sort.

_An Intelligent Artisan_ (_out for the day with his Fiancee--reading
from pedestal_). "Part of a group of As-Astrala--no,
As_traga_--lizontes"--that's what _they_ are, yer see.

_Fiancee_. But who _were_ they?

_The I.A._ Well, I can't tell yer--not for certain; but I expect they
'd be the people who in'abited Astragalizontia.

_Fiancee_. Was that what they used to call Ostralia before it was
discovered? (_They come to the Clytie bust._) Why, if that isn't the
same head Mrs. MEGGLES has under a glass shade in her front window,
only smaller--and hers is alabaster, too! But fancy them going and
copying it, and I daresay without so much as a "by your leave," or a
"thank you!"

_The I.A._ (_reading_). "Portrait of ANTONIA, sister-in-law of
the Emperor TIBERIUS, in the character of Clytie turning into a
sunflower."

_Fiancee_. Lor! They did queer things in those days, didn't they?
(_Stopping before another bust._) Who's that?

_The I.A._ 'Ed of Ariadne.

_Fiancee_ (_slightly surprised_). What!--not young ADNEY down our
street? I didn't know as he'd been took in stone.

_The I.A._ How do you suppose they'd 'ave young ADNEY in among this
lot--why, that's antique!

_Fiancee_. Well, I was _thinking_ it looked more like a female. But if
it's meant for old Mr. TEAK, the shipbuilder's daughter, it flatters
her up considerable; and, besides, _I_ always understood as her name
was BETSY.

_The I.A._ No, no; what a girl you are for getting things wrong! that
'ed was cut out years and years ago!

_Fiancee_. Well, she's gone off _since_, that's all; but I wonder at
old Mr. TEAK letting it go out of the family, instead of putting it on
his mantelpiece along with the lustres and the two chiny dogs.

_The I.A._ (_with ungallant candour_). 'Ark at you! Why, you ain't
much more sense nor a chiny dog yourself!

_Moralising Matron_ (_before the Venus of Ostia_). And to think of the
poor ignorant Greeks worshipping a shameless hussey like that; it's a
pity they hadn't someone to teach them more respectable notions! Well,
well! it ought to make us thankful _we_ don't live in those benighted
times, that it ought!

_A Connoisseur_ (_after staring at a colossal Greek lion_). A lion,
eh? Well,