A GvRAND PARTY. 165 



The soups are removed the moment they 

 are done with, and large made-dishes of 

 meat placed in their room. A bottle of wine, 

 generally vin de Bourdeaujc, is placed to 

 every person, with a decanter of water, 

 wine-glass, and tumbler; and white wine 

 is distributed here and there about the 

 table ; every one drinks when he likes, 

 which I think is much better than our Eng- 

 lish custom, which may force a man who 

 is eating curry to drink Madeira. After it 

 is seen that every one declines eating more 

 of the course on table, champagne is hand- 

 ed round, and then a general rising takes 

 place; you adjourn to another room, or 

 walk about the garden, until the table is 

 cleared, and the second, or dessert, course 

 is arranged. This move is certainly agree- 

 able at so large a party, and you return 

 with renewed appetite, to attack the second 

 course on its being announced, which ge- 

 nerally takes rather more than half an 



