The Portland daily press., 1879-01-18

Of stately oaks such was its length that it
appeared to meet ahead of him and bar bis
progress after all.
"This is tremendous thought Selwyn,
Shut l much prefer the villa residences in the
Regents Park
The courtyard in front of the mansion
could have Accommodated the whole House
hold troops, and the stone steps that led to
it were of an extent that suggested steppes in
Siberia.
Two lackeys descended them as he drove
up, and another stood at The top OF them
who received him with profound obeis-
auce. The former were draped in russell
with linen girdes, the latter in broadcloth OF
curious cut, but it was not livery; in the hall
| a groom of the chambers at once took him
| up to his room, such, he said, being his
| Journey. From this it seemed, since Selwyn
had mentioned his errand, that his lordships
| malady was not of very pressing nature.
| The apartment into which he was ushered
| would have contained his own little house
| in Bayswater, roof and all, but it lacked its
| cheerfulness. The floor was of polished oak,
| and the walls were tapestried ;the bed seemed
| several stories high, and had canopy of
| black velvet. Sin such bed, if one can not
| Sleep" thought poor Sewyn, lone could
be very suitably inferred"
Having put on his dinner clothes, the
| groom of the chambers led him to his mas
| ter's presence.
His lordship was in the library, and, as the
| doctor entered, rose and advanced three
steps to meet him. He was tall, pale man.
of aristocratic appearance, with snow-white
| hair and beard, but inclined to corpulence.
| 81 am sorry that. DR.. Dalrymple is indis-
posed" said he very civilly, but with great
| steadiness of manner, 'but l am neverthe-
| less, pleased to make the acquaintance of his
| substitute"
Selwyn bowed his thanks, and at once in
| quired what allied his lordship.
"The old malady," answered Lord De
| Bracy solemnly, ''the rheum."
"Umph--ha," returned Selwyn, looking
| wise as he could, and full of sympathy.
cit is accompanied this time" continued
| have tried tansy pudding, which is generally
| soverayne against it, but without effect"
'Are you sure you have taken nothing to
disturb the digestion, my lord; no unusual
| food, for example?'
| 81 had some peacock for lunch yesterday,
but nothiDg-you may read it in Chaucer-is
more wholesome; all my family eat peacock.
| On the other hand, must confess that had
| boiled veal for dinner"
81 don't think that would have hurt you
any more than the peacock" said Selwyn
| gravely.
| sit was, however, served with ve,juice, a
most capital sauce, and greatly admired by
our ancestors-but my system seemed to re-
| ject it,
81 think it was very possibly the vetjuice,"
observed Selwyn.
| II have done all that the wisdom of our
ancestors has recommended" continued his
lordship. 81 have had hole made in my
| nightcap to carry off the i'll humors, and have
/ lmap lain mn loft eide I houo oh
! mastic before going to rest, and I have re-
sisted all temptation to sleep after a full meal,
especially of porpoise."
"Do you eat much porpoise ?'' inquired
Selwyn.
"No; am sorry to say it is very difficult to
obtain; the prejudices of modern days have
almost prohibited it as an article of consump.
ton. You have no personal objection to
porpoise, trust, DR.. Selwyn?'
'Not the least. my lord. approve it my.
self no less than do peacock"
Il am delighted to find DIR. Dalrymple has
so intelligent partner; in country places,
such as this, find the most obstinate objec
tions on the part OF medical men to the most
simple food, unless it happens to be of mod
ern acceptance"
"Yonr appetite is tolerably good, my
Lord?''
'Yes, indeed. You shall Judge for your
Il oOuS uOWCfcIs GuGlC oLtlhCS LILO uluucI uOuI,
You shall give me your advice in the even
ing"
A noise equal to flourish of trumpets had
been going on for some minutes, and there
now entered major domo with long white
wand, who ushered his master and his guesi
through two lines of serving men into the
banquet hall. Covers were laid but for two
persons, which rather disappointed the youne
doctor. The Earl, he knew, was widower
but he had hoped to meet some of his daugh
tiers, who had great reputation fer beauty.
The repast, however, was sufficiently no
table one to make up for the absence of com
pany.
| There were a great many servants, each
with a towel round his neck as we'll as on his
arm, and the dishes they brought in-whicL
were enough for ten times the number Of
guests-were wonderful. There were nc
platS such as might have been expected at a
nobleman's table who kept French cook
all was solid and huge. Pea-soup and fru-
menty were brought in in great silver tu'
reens. Then lampreys with onions, 5ish Of
which his lordship partook so plentifully a:
to remind his guest of certain historical as
ISOLATION with it, and also to suggest very
reasonable explanation of his "humors.' 81
There was baron of beef, OF course; anG
then cygnet, served with liver sauce. And
here, the larger dishes having come to ar
end, a curious difference was made in the
waiting. All the male servitors disappeared
and were succeeded by four neat-handed and
pretty girls, in sort of white and blue uni
form, made of some old-fashioned material
The first delicacy they served Selwyn was a
beavers tail and he almost fancied that the
extreme caution he manifested in taking the
| first morsel, induced one of them-the prett
est-to smile. Lord De Bracy ate of this
| very heartily, and washed it down with hyp-
ocras, drink spiced las Selwyn was after
! wards informed) with cinnamon and hello
trope, but at al events with something very
nasty. After this there was kid and ginger
sauce, and curlew with salt and sugar.
And then came the ''sutiltees," as they were
termed; sweets Tor "devices"), pretty sub
stantial castles of pie crust or sweetmeats, tc
| all of which the noble host did such justice
| as to leave the origin of his maladies in nc
doubt. Then from the sdeboard. groanine
with gold plate, the waitng-maids brought
two silver basins full of rose water, wherein
their lord and the doctor dipped their hands
and dinner at last was over
| The effect of lampreys and beavers tails
when accompanied by hypocras in any guam
tity is somnolence, and Lord De Bracy
seemed by no means inclined for converse
tion. So, after half an hours "bald, disjoint
ed chat" Selwyn wrote out his prescription,
and babe his noble host "good night upon
the plea5 that he had to start for town
next morning at so early an hour. He did
not sleep particularly well; he dreamed that
he was being put to death by the Swanhop
per Company-this was the cygnet and liyel
sauce. no doubt-for killing curlew: and
was glad enough to wake and fiud himself
in century when the laws are pot so severe.
1t was quite relief to him, too, to remem-
Der that his host would not be up to break.
fast with him and see him off; for though
he had been treated with the utmost hospi.
tally, Lord De Bracy's society was ON the
| whole oppressive, and he had by no means
enjoyed his visit to DoDjon Towers. 1t was
an interesting experience, no doubt, but that
is often matter less pleasant in action than
TO talk about afterwards; he had had to act a
part from first to last, to restrain all natural
expressions Of Impotence or incredulity; and,
in short, he was pining for fresh air.
He could but toy with the boar's head that
was the piece de resistance on the sideboard
and declined with unhesitating frankness the
cup of mead that was offered him by one oil
the serviDg.men. When his carriage was an.
nounced he was following the groom of the
| chambers who had come IN to his room for