A Celestial Shooting- Party. 



the mill tastefully decorated and furnished for the occasion 

 so that it bore quite a gala air. There wines and liqueurs 

 were served, this I assuming to be preliminary to the 

 duck battue. After the drinking of healths and all the guests 

 had arrived, a move was made to inspect the mill, the duck 

 being apparently quite a secondary consideration. This ac- 

 complished the Tchja suggested we might go down to the river 

 and look for duck, so we proceeded thither in carriages and on 



GUESTS AT THE SHOOTING PARTY. 



horseback, a distance of half a mile. But the duck had evidently 

 taken a day off, for none were visible, so the host with the benign 

 smile of satisfaction said we would return and shoot the dinner, 

 a suggestion meeting with the cordial approval of the Russian 

 guests to whom a well-laden table was more congenial than 

 chasing duck on a cold December day. 



The dinner was not a purely Celestial one but a mixture of 

 Russian and Chinese, the result being rather pleasing, while the 

 wines which accompanied it were of good quality, all the best 

 brands obtainable in the town being displayed on the festive 

 board. This was a very comforting item in the day's 



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