10 ON THE GRAMPIAN HILLS. 



and conducive to rest. Lavatories of the most complete 

 form and convenient arrangement were provided; and, 

 in fact, this suite of rooms, which were reserved for 

 the sole use of our party of six, comprised an amount 

 of luxury and comfort that exhibited an entirely new 

 feature in railway travelling, even to one not un- 

 accustomed to locomotion on the rail. By degrees 

 the carriages were filled up until every space was 

 occupied in the five double saloons and nineteen first- 

 class carriages ; then the clock struck eight, and this 

 enormous train, with a freight of 420 passengers, 

 steamed quietly out of the station, and was soon 

 " Going North " at express speed. It was evident 

 that my companions were not novices in travelling ; 

 for, by a clever arrangement of some of the larger 

 pieces of baggage, a substantial table was formed, 

 and dinner laid for six, with little loss of time. This 

 arrangement combined all the pleasures of a picnic 

 with an absence of those discomforts that are usually 

 attendant on al-fresco entertainments in this variable 

 clime. The cold chickens, currie, fruits, and champagne 

 partaken of whilst travelling at a speed of sixty or 

 seventy miles an hour were even more enjoyable than 

 similar viands consumed on the damp grass of some 

 picturesque and romantic spot under a widely-spreading 

 umbrella, even if the object of your affections shared 

 the shelter of your gingham, clinging tenderly to you 

 for protection from the inevitable thunderstorm that 

 invariably breaks over such outdoor entertainments; 

 for I have known even some of the fairest and most 

 delightful of the opposite sex to become a trifle touchy 

 under such trying circumstances. 



Whilst we were dining thus luxuriously the train 



