eir more epicurean brethren and sisters,
they, the litterateurs and artists, had fared very well on Christmas Day
and would meet again on New Year's Day to discuss the following menu:--

"Consomme de Cheval au millet.
Brochettes de Foie de Chien a la Maitre d'Hotel.
Emince de Rable de Chat, Sauce Mayonnaise.
Epaules et Filets de Chien braises a la Sauce Tomate.
Civet de Chat aux Champignons.
Cotelettes de Chien aux Champignons.
Gigots de Chien flanques de Ratons.
Sauce Poivrade.
Begonias au Jus.
Plum-pudding au Rhum et a la Moelle de Cheval."

Simultaneously with the publication of the menu, a dealer in the St.
Germain Market put up a new signboard:--

"RESISTANCE A OUTRANCE.

"GRANDE BOUCHERIE CANINE ET FELINE.

"L'heroique Paris brave les Prussiens;
Il ne sera jamais vaincu par la famine!
Quand il aura mange la race chevaline
Il mangera ses rats, et ses chats, et ses chiens."

The proprietor of a cookshop in the Rue de Rome had confined himself to
prose, but prose which, to those who could read it aright, was much
cleverer than the poetry of his transpontine fellow-tradesman.

"VIN A DIX-HUIT SOUS ET EAU-DESSUS,
Rosse Beef.
Rat Gout de Mouton."[90]

[Footnote 90: Here are the two English readings, as far as I am
able to give them:--

"WINE AT EIGHTEEN SOUS THE LITRE AND UPWARDS.
Roast Beef.
Ragout of Mutton."

"WINE AT EIGHTEEN SOUS THE LITRE AND WATER ATOP.
Old Crock's Flesh.
Rat Tasting of Mutton."--EDITOR.]

Personally, I have eaten the flesh of elephants, wolves, cassowaries,
porcupines, bears, kangaroos, rats, cats, and horses. I did not touch
dog's-flesh knowingly after I had been warned by our ex-lieutenant. The
proprietor of the English butcher-shop, M. Debos, who was not an
Englishman at all, supplied most of these strange dishes; for he bought
nearly all the animals from the Zoological Gardens at tremendous prices.
These were only the animals from the Jardin d'Acclimatation in the Bois,
which had been sent as guests to the Jardin des Plantes. The elephants
belonged to the latter establishment, and were sold to M. Debos for
twenty-seven thousand francs. In January I was elected a member of the
Jockey Club, but I had dined there once before by special invitation. I
give the menu as far as I remember:--

"Soupe au Poireau.
Aloyau de Boeuf.
Poule au Riz.
F