LETTER XXIII. 



163 



baize door became a perfect Herr Dobbler magic hat ; and it was 

 at last a relief to permanently " lay " Mr 

 Dougald's bishop -like, black -vestured, 

 white -chokered figure through 

 that mysterious chasm, 

 with all his decanters, 

 plate, silver teapot, &c., 

 and then draw our 

 own very homely 

 figures (in slightly 

 damaged shooting 

 coats and carpet slip- 

 pers) to the fireside. 

 My companion seemed 

 highly amused at 

 my surprise ; for when 

 he asked me to go 

 with him to Jura, 

 I immediately proposed 



takmg a boiled ham, a gallon of 

 beer, a bottle of whisky, and 

 other such rude necessaries of 

 life, supposing that we should have 

 resided in a cave ; for Jura, though as 

 large as the Isle of Wight, may almost be 

 called uninhabited. Since the Norsemen named it Diur ay, — the 



