The Hon. Adolphiis Lightfoof. 89 



abhorrence of serious people of any description, took a 

 violent dislike on the spot to the father of the family oppo- 

 site. He said he gave him the blues and spoiled his dinner. 

 ''I say, old fellow," whispered Dolly in our ear, ''it is 

 as plain as a pikestaff that the head of the family opposite 

 is a remarkably fine specimen of that very destestable 

 animal known as ' The Domestic Tyrant.' I can see with 

 half an eye that that poor wife of his is ' crushed,' if ever a 

 woman was in this world, and as for those three poor girls 

 (not half bad-looking, are they ?) and the heavily-handi- 

 capped little governess, the way that they are 'kept 

 down,' when I know they are positively bursting to enjoy 

 themselves, is quite heartrending — now, isn't it ? I can't 

 stand it any longer, 'pon my soul I can't, and I shall take it 

 upon myself to wake 'em up a bit, and I'll begin with the 

 old 'un. Here goes ! " And, suiting the action to the word 

 without more ado, Dolly, leaning across the table, paved 

 the way for conversation with a polite request in French to 

 the serious father to pass a dish of olives, which was 

 placed opposite him. As that gentleman only stared hard 

 and gave a sort of gasp in reply, for he did not understand 

 (as Dolly did not intend he should) what he was asked for, 

 Dolly repeated the request in English. The olives were at 

 once passed, and the recipient forthwith commenced a con- 

 versation with the serious father. He began by informing 

 that gentleman what great pleasure it gave him (Dolly) 

 to find himself seated at dinner in a foreign seaport town 

 amongst so many of his compatriots. Then, turning in a 

 deferential way to the serious man's wife, he ventured to 

 express his own opinion that she would not find the " filet 

 de bceuf a la jardiniere " they had just been helped to a 

 portion of, so succulent as the rump-steak of her native land. 



