FEEDING TIME. 119 



" I tells you, Moshes, itsh an unposhibility to eat two shillin's 

 vorth o' wittles at vonce, and I paid dat mosh monies for my 

 ticket; she it 'II be quite fair to put as mosh as I can into me 

 pockets. I can shell it to Levi to-morrow, or perhapsh he '11 

 give me someting in exshange for it." 



"Hollo! Smith, who 'd ha' thought of seeing you here? I 

 wish you luck and hope you have a good appetite." 



*^ My dear fellow, its not amiss, considering that I 've just 

 dined, I would n't give a button for the dinner, but we shall 

 have some prime speechifying after it." 



The door is open at last — and what a rush ! There is some 

 comfort however in being fairly carried up a flight of sixty steps, 

 without ever touching a deal board, and being safely landed in 

 the neighbourhood of a roast fowl. Hunger is a famous stimulus : 

 all escalades should be made when the garrisons are getting 

 dinner ready, and the assaulters Englishmen. 



Well, all are comfortably seated, provender is abundant; the 

 guests are in a hungry case as aforesaid, and the mere sight of so 

 many good things has screwed up the appetite to such a pitch 

 that the force of patience, can no farther go, sundry persons are 

 already at work recreating the carnal man. 



" Gentlemen — gentlemen ! pray wait a few moments ; our 

 respected chairman has not yet taken his place — I hope you will 

 not commence dining till grace has been said, and the band 

 plays up the * Roast beef of old England.' " 



" We beg pardon, sir, but we were only carving the joint to 

 save time afterwards." * 



*' I cannot allow any thing to be carved till grace has been 

 said.'' 



^* That 's what I call the genteel thing," said a voracious 

 looking large man, whilst he was very deliberately shaking out 

 a couple of reefs from his waistcoat; " Let 's all start fair." 



*' Pass the word along the table for somebody that knows a 

 grace, is there ever a person at this table what 'il say grace ? " 



" Nonsense, nonsense, sir, do pray be orderly, the chairman 

 will say grace of course." 



" That 's very fine words, Mr. Steward, but you do n't consider 

 that the wedgertables are cold already." 



A deafening round of applause hinted that the chairman was 

 taking his seat; grace followed, and the band discoursed most 

 excellent music on the subject of grilled oxen. Then arose the 

 busy sound of multitudinous knives and forks, like the everlasting 



