THE SIX OF SPADES. 53 



("Monstreuse," though not " ele Doual"), and was 

 the largest I had ever seen, save one, which my 

 eldest sister had made in wax, and in which, so far 

 as size was concerned, she had considerably exceeded 

 the powers of nature. When our guests had arrived 

 (we saw them go through the hall, we little ones, as 

 we stood in our night-gear upon a distant landing, 

 like tipsy Pecksniffs on a reduced scale), and had 

 seated themselves at the banquet, what do you think 

 I had the audacity to do ? I stole downstairs, 

 imperfectly accoutred as I was, and substituted the 

 artificial for the real peach, secreting the latter in a 

 cupboard of the housekeeper's room, where the dessert 

 was lying in state ! * 



Two hours later, some of the ladies were brought 

 up " to see the children." They found me, as you 

 will conjecture, particularly fast asleep. I was 

 located in an inner nurserj', which seemed to be 

 regarded that night as a small chamber of horrors, 

 attached to the general exhibition. " Is that the 

 arch-traitor ? " I beard Lady Isabel ask; " the villain 

 slumbers soundly ! let us kiss the hoary miscreant." 

 And then I heard how successfully my scheme had 

 sped. The pyramid had been placed in the centre of 

 the table, and the big peach had been admired by all. 

 The host had been complimented, as though he did 

 the pruning and the nailing, and general management 

 of the wall-trees himself. The Duke had facetiously 

 suggested that it should be taken to a side-table, and 

 carved like a round of beef. Squire Granville pro- 



'' This incident occurred long before tLe iutroJuction of tlie 

 diner d la Itusse. 



