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[[left side]]
the stairs  I said to myself "At least there is one young one, and I hope he'll fall to my lot" and was quite surprised when he said "This way sir" to Mr Darwin—   We were preceded into the drawing room by a servant who announced us by name to the host and hostess - a nice comfortable looking couple - he  the Vice Chancellor  a little roly poly man with a high collar - and wearing bands with a dress coat - a funny combination—  Every one looked very proper and there were no frumps thogh [[though]] some of the Coiffures were very queer—  The meal mostly middle aged—  Fortunately they gave me quite a wordly looking young one named Neil, a 

[[right side]]
Scotchman—  Very clever and talkable - and as I had on the other side a very eccentric and jolly Professor of anatomy I was not in the least dull - and had an awfully good time—  Of course it was a huge table covered with massive silver and flowers like DaMouriers drawings—  They had amongst other fruits one musk melon handed around the seeds not taken out - I took one small slice - not bad at all—  When "the cloth" - (which means [[strikethrough]] two [[strikethrough]] long strips of table cloth laid along the edge of the table) was removed   They passed around a massive silver basin and cover, and each guest dipped in a corner of his napkin and wiped his hands