’Butourfemaleguests……’
’Loveatoper！DidnotAriadnedoteuponBacchus？’
Thefeastproceeded；theguestsgrewmoretalkativeandnoisy；thedessertorlastcoursewasalreadyonthetable；andtheslavesboreroundwaterwithmyrrhandhyssopforthefinishinglavation。Atthesametime，asmallcirculartablethathadbeenplacedinthespaceoppositetheguestssuddenly，andasbymagic，seemedtoopeninthecentre，andcastupafragrantshower，sprinklingthetableandtheguests；whileasitceasedtheawningabovethemwasdrawnaside，andtheguestsperceivedthataropehadbeenstretchedacrosstheceiling，andthatoneofthosenimbledancersforwhichPompeiiwassocelebrated，andwhosedescendantsaddsocharmingagracetothefestivitiesofAstley’sorVauxhall，wasnowtreadinghisairymeasuresrightovertheirheads。
Thisapparition，removedbutbyacordfromone’spericranium，andindulgingthemostvehementleaps，apparentlywiththeintentionofalightinguponthatcerebralregion，wouldprobablyberegardedwithsometerrorbyapartyinMayFair；butourPompeianrevellersseemedtobeholdthespectaclewithdelightedcuriosity，andapplaudedinproportionasthedancerappearedwiththemostdifficultytomissfallingupontheheadofwhateverguestheparticularlyselectedtodanceabove。Hepaidthesenator，indeed，thepeculiarcomplimentofliterallyfallingfromtherope，andcatchingitagainwithhishand，justasthewholepartyimaginedtheskulloftheRomanwasasmuchfracturedaseverthatofthepoetwhomtheeagletookforatortoise。Atlength，tothegreatreliefofatleastIone，whohadnotmuchaccustomedherselftothisentertainment，thedancersuddenlypausedasastrainofmusicwasheardfromwithout。Hedancedagainstillmorewildly；
theairchanged，thedancerpausedagain；no，itcouldnotdissolvethecharmwhichwassupposedtopossesshim！Herepresentedonewhobyastrangedisorderiscompelledtodance，andwhomonlyacertainairofmusiccancure。Atlengththemusicianseemedtohitontherighttune；thedancergaveoneleap，swunghimselfdownfromtherope，alightedonthefloor，andvanished。