I have seen large portions of fish, sauce and all, packed up in a newspaper, and deposited in a pocket.

I have seen fowls and ham share the same fate, without any newspaper at all.

I have seen jelly carefully wrapped in an Italian countess's laced _mouchoir_! I think the servants must have had orders not to allow entire bottles of wine to be carried away, for I never saw that attempted, and can imagine no other reason why.

I remember that those who affected to be knowing old hands used to recommend one to specially pay attention to the Grand Ducal Rhine wine, and remember, too, conceiving a suspicion that certain of these connoisseurs based their judgment in this matter wholly on their knowledge that the Duke possessed estates in Bohemia! The English were exceedingly numerous in Florence at that time, and they were reinforced by a continually increasing American contingent, though our cousins had not yet begun to come in numbers rivalling our own, as has been the case recently.

By the bye, it occurs to me, that I never saw an American pillaging the supper table; though, I may add, that American ladies would accept any amount of _bonbons_ from English blockade runners.
And the mention of American ladies at the Pitti reminds me of a really very funny story, which may be told without offence to any one now living.