It was curious， in truth， to see how instantaneously theguests were diverted from the high moral enjoymentswhich they had been tasting with so much apparentzest， by a suggestion of the more solid as well as liquiddelights of the festive board. They thronged eagerly inthe rear of the host， who now ushered them into a loftyand extensive hall， from end to end of which was arrangeda table， glittering all over with innumerable dishes anddrinking-vessels of gold. It is an uncertain point， whetherthese rich articles of plate were made for the occasion，out of molten sunbeams， or recovered from the wrecks ofSpanish galleons， that had lain for ages at the bottom ofthe sea. The upper end of the table was overshadowed bya canopy， beneath which was placed a chair of elaboratemagnificence， which the host himself declined to occupy，and besought his guests to assign it to the worthiestamong them. As a suitable homage to his incalculableantiquity and eminent distinction， the post of honor wasat first tendered to the Oldest Inhabitant. He， however，eschewed it， and requested the favor of a bowl of gruelat a side-table， where he could refresh himself with aquiet nap. There was some little hesitation as to the nextcandidate， until Posterity took the Master Genius of ourcountry by the hand， and led him to the chair of state，beneath the princely canopy. When once they beheld himin his true place， the company acknowledged the justice ofthe selection by a long thunder-roll of vehement applause.
Then was served up a banquet， combining， if not all thedelicacies of the season， yet all the rarities which carefulpurveyors had met with in the flesh， fish， and vegetablemarkets of the land of Nowhere. The bill of fare beingunfortunately lost， we can only mention a Phoenix， roastedin its own flames， cold potted birds of Paradise， ice-creamsfrom the Milky Way， and whip-syllabubs and flummeryfrom the Paradise of Fools， whereof there was a verygreat consumption. As for drinkables， the temperancepeoplecontented themselves with water， as usual， but itwas the water of the Fountain of Youth； the ladies sippedNepenthe； the love-lorn， the care-worn， and the sorrowstricken，were supplied with brimming goblets of Lethe；and it was shrewdly conjectured that a certain goldenvase， from which only the more distinguished guestswere invited to partake， contained nectar that had beenmellowing ever since the days of classical mythology. Thecloth being removed， the company， as usual， grew eloquentover their liquor， and delivered themselves of a successionof brilliant speeches； the task of reporting which we resignto the more adequate ability of Counsellor Gill， whoseindispensable co-operation the Man of Fancy had takenthe precaution to secure.
When the festivity of the banquet was at its mostethereal point， the Clerk of the Weather was observedto steal from the table， and thrust his head between thepurple and golden curtains of one of the windows.
“My fellow-guests，” he remarked aloud， after carefullynoting the signs of the night， “I advise such of you aslive at a distance， to be going as soon as possible； for athunderstorm is certainly at hand.”
“Mercy on me！” cried Mother Carey， who had left herbrood of chickens， and come hither in gossamer drapery，with pink silk stockings， “How shall I ever get home？”
All now was confusion and hasty departure， with butlittle superfluous leave-taking. The Oldest Inhabitant，however， true to the rule of those long-past days in whichhis courtesy had been studied， paused on the threshold ofthe meteor-lighted hall， to express his vast satisfaction atthe entertainment.
“Never， within my memory，” observed the graciousold gentleman， “has it been my good fortune to spend apleasanter evening， or in more select society.”
The wind here took his breath away， whirled his threecorneredhat into infinite space， and drowned what furthercompliments it had been his purpose to bestow. Many ofthe company had bespoken Will o’ the Whisps to convoythem home； and the host， in his general beneficence， hadengaged the Man in the Moon， with an immense hornlantern， to be the guide of such desolate spinsters as coulddo no better for themselves. But a blast of the risingtempest blew out all their lights in the twinkling of an eye.
How， in the darkness that ensued， the guests contrivedto get back to earth， or whether the greater part of themcontrived to get back at all， or are still wandering amongclouds， mists， and puffs of tempestuous wind， bruisedby the beams and rafters of the overthrown castle in theair， and deluded by all sorts of unrealities， are points thatconcern themselves， much more than the writer or thepublic. People should think of these matters， before theytrust themselves on a pleasure-party into the realm ofNowhere.
