ccasion; "excessively fond.
I mean the eating and drinking part, of course. There is only one
thing I like better; and that is having my dinner under a roof, upon
a table, and with a chair to sit on."

"Oh, you ungrateful man; after all that I am doing for you!"

"I spoke of picnics generally, Miss Todd. Could I always have my
nectar filled to me by a goddess, I would be content with no room,
but expect to recline on a cloud, and have thunderbolts ready at my
right hand."

"What a beautiful Jupiter your father would make, Mr. Bertram!"

"Yes; and what a happy king of gods with such a Juno as you, Miss
Todd!"

"Ha! ha! ha! oh dear, no. I pretend to no _role_ higher than that of
Hebe. Mr. M'Gabbery, may I thank you for a slice of ham? I declare,
these tombs are very nice tables, are they not? Only, I suppose it's
very improper. Mr. Cruse, I'm so sorry that we have no potatoes; but
there is salad, I know."

"Talking of chairs," said Mr. Hunter, "after all there has been no
seat yet invented by man equal to a divan, either for ease, dignity,
or grace." Mr. Hunter had long been practising to sit cross-legged,
and was now attempting it on on the grass for the first time in
public. It had at any rate this inconvenient effect, that he was
perfectly useless; for, when once seated, he could neither help
himself nor any one else.

"The cigar divan is a very nice lounge when one has nothing better to
do," suggested Mr. Pott. "They have capital coffee there."

"A divan and a sofa are much the same, I suppose," said George.

But to this Mr. Hunter demurred, and explained at some length what
were the true essential qualities of a real Turkish divan: long
before he had finished, however, George had got up to get a clean
plate for Miss Waddington, and in sitting down had turned his back
upon the Turk. The unfortunate Turk could not revenge himself, as in
his present position any motion was very difficult to him.

Picnic dinners are much the same in all parts of the world, and
chickens and salad are devoured at Jerusalem very much in the same
way as they are at other places--except, indeed, by a few such
proficients in Turkish manners as Mr. Hunter. The little Arab
children stood around them, expectant of scraps, as I have seen
children do also in England; and the conversation, which was dull
enough at the commencement of the feast, became more animated when a
few corks had flown. As the afternoon wore on, Mr. M'Gabbery beca