rice,
said:

'It is remarkable, Mr Feeder, that the Romans--'

At the mention of this terrible people, their implacable enemies, every
young gentleman fastened his gaze upon the Doctor, with an assumption of
the deepest interest. One of the number who happened to be drinking,
and who caught the Doctor's eye glaring at him through the side of his
tumbler, left off so hastily that he was convulsed for some moments, and
in the sequel ruined Doctor Blimber's point.

'It is remarkable, Mr Feeder,' said the Doctor, beginning again slowly,
'that the Romans, in those gorgeous and profuse entertainments of which
we read in the days of the Emperors, when luxury had attained a height
unknown before or since, and when whole provinces were ravaged to supply
the splendid means of one Imperial Banquet--'

Here the offender, who had been swelling and straining, and waiting in
vain for a full stop, broke out violently.

'Johnson,' said Mr Feeder, in a low reproachful voice, 'take some
water.'

The Doctor, looking very stern, made a pause until the water was
brought, and then resumed:

'And when, Mr Feeder--'

But Mr Feeder, who saw that Johnson must break out again, and who knew
that the Doctor would never come to a period before the young gentlemen
until he had finished all he meant to say, couldn't keep his eye off
Johnson; and thus was caught in the fact of not looking at the Doctor,
who consequently stopped.

'I beg your pardon, Sir,' said Mr Feeder, reddening. 'I beg your pardon,
Doctor Blimber.'

'And when,' said the Doctor, raising his voice, 'when, Sir, as we
read, and have no reason to doubt--incredible as it may appear to the
vulgar--of our time--the brother of Vitellius prepared for him a feast,
in which were served, of fish, two thousand dishes--'

'Take some water, Johnson--dishes, Sir,' said Mr Feeder.

'Of various sorts of fowl, five thousand dishes.'

'Or try a crust of bread,' said Mr Feeder.

'And one dish,' pursued Doctor Blimber, raising his voice still higher
as he looked all round the table, 'called, from its enormous dimensions,
the Shield of Minerva, and made, among other costly ingredients, of the
brains of pheasants--'

'Ow, ow, ow!' (from Johnson.)

'Woodcocks--'

'Ow, ow, ow!'

'The sounds of the fish called scari--'

'You'll burst some vessel in your head,' said Mr Feeder. 'You had better
let it come.'

'And the spawn of the lamprey, brought from the Carpathian Sea,'
pursued the