Page:Vivian Grey, Volume 1.djvu/203

 "Oh! Grey, is it you? certainly, you shall have my place immediately—but I'm not sure that we cannot make room for you. Dormer Stanhope, room must be made for Grey, or I shall leave the table immediately;—you men!" said the hoyden, turning round to a set of surrounding servants, "push this form down, and put a chair between."

The men obeyed. All who sat lower in the table on Miss Cynthia Courtown's side, than that lady, were suddenly propelled downwards about the distance of two feet. Dr. Sly, who was flourishing an immense carving-knife and fork, preparatory to dissecting a very gorgeous haunch, had these fearful instruments suddenly precipitated into a trifle, from whose sugared trellice-work he found great difficulty in extricating them; while Miss Gusset, who was on the point of cooling herself with some exquisite iced jelly, found her frigid portion as suddenly transformed into a plate of peculiarly