nd of the aforesaid tube being
a mouth-piece, and the other expanding itself into a huge trumpet-mouth;
then conceive a Fleming--one of Rubens's cherubs, immensely magnified,
and decorated with a beard and moustaches--blowing into this with
all the force of his lungs, perfectly unmindful of the five other
performers, who at five several and distinct parts of the melody are
blasting away also--treble and bass, contralto and soprano, shake and
sostenuto, all blending into one crash of hideous discord, to which
the Scotch bagpipe in a pibroch is a soothing, melting melody. A
deaf-and-dumb institution 'would capitulate in half an hour. Truly, the
results of a hunting expedition ought to be of the most satisfactory
kind, to make the 'Retour de la Chasse' (it was this they were blowing)
at all sufferable to those who were not engaged in the concert. As for
the performers, I can readily believe they never heard a note of the
whole.

Even Dutch lungs grow tired at last. Having blown the establishment into
ecstasies, and myself into a furious headache, they gave in; and now
an awful bell announced the time to dress for dinner. While I made my
toilette, I endeavoured, as well as my throbbing temples would permit
me, to fancy the host's personal appearance, and to conjecture the style
of the rest of the party. My preparations over, I took a parting look
in the glass, as if to guess the probable impression I should make
below-stairs, and sallied forth.

Cautiously stealing along over the well-waxed floors, slippery as ice
itself, I descended the broad oak stairs into a great hall, wainscoted
with dark walnut and decorated with antlers' and stags' heads,
cross-bows and arquebuses, and, to my shuddering horror, with various
_cors de chasse_, now happily, however, silent on the walls. I entered
the drawing-room, conning over to myself a little speech in French,
and preparing myself to bow for the next fifteen minutes; but, to my
surprise, no one had yet appeared. All were still occupied in dressing,
and probably taking some well-merited repose after their exertions on
the wind-instruments. I had now time for a survey of the apartment; and,
generally speaking, a drawing-room is no bad indication of the tastes
and temperament of the owners of the establishment.

The practised eye speedily detects in the character and arrangement of
a chamber something of its occupant. In some houses, the absence of all
decoration, the simple puritani