) The speeches, on
the other hand, were marvels of variety and interest. The Snimmy's, of
course, was sad--even heartrending; and he was sniffing before he had
finished saying, "How do you do, Toast?" and shedding gum-drops like
hail-stones before he was half through. His Toast, however, was
orange-cake, unusually delicious; and the wine served with it was a
sparkling cherry-colored beverage marked "Cardinal." It was so heady
that it even had a topknot, and it served admirably to counteract the
depressing effect of the Snimmy's speech. The next Toast was responded
to by the First and Second Gunki; and its subject was, "Sara's
Tears--May There Be No Mad and Few Sad." The speech was in the form of
a duet, rendered by the Gunki with deep feeling, and accompanied by
the Plynck and her Echo with liquid-sounding arpeggios on their lyres,
that were most appropriate. The Toast was old-fashioned jelly-cake,
with Robinsong wine. Avrillia responded to a thin slice, whose subject
was "Nothing"; everybody clapped when this subject was announced, for
they felt that the subject was in the hands of an authority, and would
be handled in a masterly manner. Nor were they disappointed;
Avrillia's speech was in the form of a long poem, which she recited
from memory, looking very wild and lovely.
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