guests a very enduring impression of a desire to see him again.

So his time passed pleasantly, with a heart untouched by either love
or care, till he fell in at a dinner party with the Reverend Doctor
Opimian. The doctor spoke of Gryll Grange and the Aristophanic comedy
which was to be produced at Christmas, and Lord Curryfin, with his usual
desire to have a finger in every pie, expressed an earnest wish to be
introduced to the squire. This was no difficult matter. The doctor
had quickly brought it about, and Lord Curryfin had gone over in the
doctor's company to pass a few days at the Grange. Here, in a very short
time, he had made himself completely at home; and had taken on himself
the office of architect, to superintend the construction of the theatre,
receiving with due deference instructions on the subject from the
Reverend Doctor Opimian.

Sufficient progress had been made in the comedy for the painter and
musician to begin work on their respective portions; and Lord Curryfin,
whose heart was in his work, passed whole mornings in indefatigable
attention to the progress of the building. It was near the house,
and was to be approached by a covered way. It was a miniature of the
Athenian theatre, from which it differed in having a roof, but it
resembled it in the arrangements of the stage and orchestra, and in the
graduated series of semicircular seats for the audience.

When dinner was announced, Mr. Gryll took in Miss Ilex. Miss Gryll, of
course, took the arm of Lord Curryfin. Mr. Falconer took in one of the
young ladies, and placed her on the left hand of the host. The Reverend
Dr. Opimian took in another, and was consequently seated between her
and Miss Ilex. Mr. Falconer was thus as far removed as possible from the
young lady of the house, and was consequently, though he struggled as
much as possible against it, frequently _distrait_, unconsciously
and unwillingly observing Miss Gryll and Lord Curryfin, and making
occasional observations very wide of the mark to the fair damsels on
his right and left, who set him down in their minds for a very odd
young man. The soup and fish were discussed in comparative silence; the
entrees not much otherwise; but suddenly a jubilant expression from Mr.
MacBorrowdale hailed the disclosure of a large sirloin of beef which
figured before _Mr. Gryll._

_Mr. MacBorrowdale_. You are a man of taste, _Mr. Gryll._ That is a
handsomer ornament of a dinner-table than clusters of n