convite'. 



207 



were changed by the servants and their volunteer 

 assistants, with singular dexterity, and in spite of 

 this vast disorder. The bottle passed more and 

 more rapidly ; the noise increased ; the bawlers 

 became more numerous ; and by the time the 

 dinner was well over, the party fell to pieces, and 

 all seemed uproar and confusion : groups of four 

 or five, and sometimes twice that number, might 

 be seen clustered together, all speaking or sing- 

 ing at once. I never was more astonished than 

 at seeing so many men, on all other occasions 

 perfect models of decorum, suddenly lose their 

 formality, and act like so many professed topers 

 and merrymakers. At first I thought this must 

 needs end in blows, and stood prepared to avoid 

 the bottles and glasses, which were likely to be 

 flying about. But after a little while, it was easy 

 to discover more sounds of mirth than of anger ; 

 and the ladies, who must have been accustomed 

 to such scenes, sat very composedly, viewing it 

 all with great delight. 



Something like order was presently restored by 

 the feats of a merry Biscayan, who dressed him- 

 self like a cook, by throwing off his coat and waist- 



