Show AN AWFUL predicament j r A atar tUng om at t ft a bonden kaat irate I 1 1 I 1 all was in readiness for the luncheon chichu which M Hano the foreign seere tary was giving to the members of thi the metrical convention and sir joseph canals about 12 the chief steward bestowed a last look of proul r satisfaction aal s faction at the harmonious seton set on ou of the table all at once he shuddered ed as a 3 poet might have done in the final revision of his hia p proofs roofs at the discovery of a printers error that would have horribly disfigured his latest sonnet the menu cardale aardal he exclaimed they have ha been forgotten lay them round rou nd at once theres not a minute to losel search was made for the bills of fare on n the sideboards in the d dining 1 nin g room in in the butlers pantry at the foreign office even in the ministers private room not a trace of the menu cards and the lord mayor might arrive any moment no such disaster had befallen since the days of poor vatel the fact was communicated to M crozier with all the delicacy that tho the circumstances demanded various proposals were submitted at length it was decided that all the functionaries function aries f great eat and small who happened to be present should be laid under requisition even the son soil of the halt balt porter found himself pressed for the nonce into the service of the diplomatic car corps PP the ink of the last copy was hardly dry when the lord mayor i en entered the banqueting liall hall honor was was saved le figaro |