text:  The wine goes round and laudations go with it; the professed diners-out enquire the vintage; the Honourable Mr Sniftky intrenches himself behind a rampart of fruit dishes speaking only when he is spoken to and glancing inquisitively at the several speakers as much as to say "What a fellow you are to talk;" the host essays a _bon-mot_ or tells a story bordering on the _ideal_ which he thinks is fashionable and shows that he knows life; the Honourable Sniftky drinks claret from a beer-glass and after the third bottle affects to discover his mistake wondering what he could be thinking of; this produces much laughter from all save the professed diners-out who dare not take such a liberty and is _the_ jest of the evening