52 AN AWKWARD PREDICAMENT. 



yet unintroduced amongst the black Beau monde 

 of Bombajj at least in their native entertain- 

 ments. All this time I was standing at the 

 dining-room door, debating with myself what 

 I should do, for my dress trousers having straps, 

 I could not well get off my boots ; in fact, so 

 convinced was I that the continuative parapher- 

 nalia would never be equal to squatting on the 

 ground, that I meditated a bolt into the garden 

 and abandoning my dinner, when just at that 

 moment my dear old host (may his shadow in- 

 crease), came to the rescue, and requested me to 

 walk down-stairs, where I should find dinner 

 laid for me on a table. And a very good dinner 

 I made, albeit I was somewhat puzzled how to 

 manage my pillao without fork or spoon; but two 

 bits of chupatee, or native bread, supplied the 

 deficiency. Had the dishes been hot, they might 

 probably have been good, but all was stone 

 cold, and I consequently cannot speak highly 

 of our host's cuisine. After a time I heard a 

 move in the upper story, with the shuffling of 

 feet into slippers, and we all returned to the 

 drawing-room, where after sitting for an hour or 

 so, rather ruminating than talking, for the con- 

 versational powers of the party did not appear 



