red feet above the Pentland Firth, and floundering in
the waters like an enormous whale; the herring shoals hurrying away from
his unwieldy gambols, as from the presence of the real sea-born leviathan.
Cacus in love was not more grand, or the gigantic Polyphemus, sighing at
the feet of Galatea, or infernal Pluto looking amiable beside his ravished
queen. Have you seen an elephant in love? If you have, you may conceive
what Mr. Tims would be in that interesting situation.

Supper was brought in. It consisted of eggs, cold veal, bacon-ham, and a
Welsh rabbit. I must confess, that, perplexed as I was by all the previous
events of the evening, I felt a gratification at the present moment, in
the anxiety to see how the Man-Mountain would comport himself at table. I
had beheld his person and his shadow with equal admiration, and I doubted
not that his powers of eating were on the same great scale as his other
qualifications. They were, indeed. Zounds, how he did eat! Cold veal,
eggs, bacon-ham, and Welsh rabbit, disappeared "like the baseless fabric
of a vision, and left not a wreck behind;" so thoroughly had nine-tenths
of them taken up their abode in the _bread basket_ (vide Jon Bee) of the
Man-Mountain; the remaining tenth sufficed for the rest of the company,
viz. Julia, her aunt, her aunt's husband, and myself.

Liquor was brought in, to wit, wine, brandy, whisky, and rum. I felt an
intense curiosity to see on which of the four Mr. Tims would fix his
choice. He fixed upon brandy, and made a capacious tumbler of hot toddy. I
did the same, and asked Julia to join me in taking a single glass--I was
forestalled by the Man-Mountain. I then asked the lady of the house the
same thing, but was forestalled by her husband.

Meanwhile, the evening wearing on, the ladies retired, and Mr. Tims, the
landlord, and myself, were left to ourselves. This was the signal for a
fresh assault upon the brandy-bottle. Another tumbler was made--then
another--then a fourth. At this period Julia appeared at the door, and
beckoned upon the landlord, who arose from table, saying he would rejoin
us immediately. Mr. Tims and I were thus left alone, and so we continued,
for the landlord, strange to say, did not again appear. What became of him
I know not. I supposed he had gone to bed, and left his _great_ friend and
myself to pass the time as we were best able.

We were now commencing our fifth tumbler, and I began to feel my whole
spirit pervaded by