fashion. The Burmese had taken lessons in the nice conduct of a knife and
fork, and fed themselves in the most irreproachably conventional manner,
carefully avoiding the use of a knife with their fish. Pio Nono, who sat
opposite the Menghyi, tucked his napkin over his ample paunch and went in
with a will. He was in a most hilarious mood, and taxed his memory for
reminiscences of his visit to England. These were not expressed with
useless expenditure of verbiage, nor did they flow in unbroken sequence.
It was as if he dug in his memory with a spade, and found every now and
then a gem in the shape of a name, which he brandished aloft in triumph.
He kept up an intermittent and disconnected fire all through dinner, with
an interval between each discharge, "White-bait!" "Lord Mayor!"
"Fishmongers!" "Cremorne!" "Crystal Palace!" "Edinburgh!" "Dunrobin!"
"Newcastle!" "Windsor!"--each name followed by a chuckle and a succession
of nods. The Menghyi divided his talk between the Resident and myself. He
told me that of all the men he had met in England his favourite was the
late Duke of Sutherland; adding that the Duke was a nobleman of great and
striking eloquence, a trait which I had not been in the habit of regarding
as markedly characteristic of his Grace. He spoke with much warmth of a
pleasant visit he had paid to Dunrobin, and said he should be heartily
glad if the Duke would come to Burmah and give him an opportunity of
returning his hospitality. Here Pio Nono broke in with one of his
periodical exclamations. This time it was "Lady Dudley." Of her, and of
her late husband, the Menghyi then recalled his recollections, and if more
courtly tributes have been paid to her ladyship's charms and grace, I
question if any have been heartier and more enthusiastic than was the
appreciation of this Burmese dignitary. The soldier element was at first
somewhat stiff, but as the dinner proceeded the generals warmed in
conversation with the Resident. But the aides were obstinately
supercilious, and only partially thawed in acknowledgment of compliments
on the splendour of their jewelry. Functionaries attached to the personal