第25部分(第6/7 頁)

in　this　matter　of　English　meat。　A　newspaper　tells　me　that　English　beef　is　non…existent；　that　the　best　meat　bearing　that　name　has　merely　been　fed　up　in　England　for　a　short　time　before　killing。　Well；　well；　we　can　only　be　thankful　that　the　quality　is　still　so　good。　Real　English　mutton　still　exists；　I　suppose。　It　would　surprise　me　if　any　other　country　could　produce　the　shoulder　I　had　yesterday。

Who　knows？　Perhaps　even　our　own　cookery　has　seen　its　best　days。　It　is　a　lamentable　fact　that　the　multitude　of　English　people　nowadays　never　taste　roasted　meat；　what　they　call　by　that　name　is　baked　in　the　oven……a　totally　different　thing；　though　it　may；　I　admit；　be　inferior　only　to　the　right　roast。　Oh；　the　sirloin　of　old　times；　the　sirloin　which　I　can　remember；　thirty　or　forty　years　ago！　That　was　English；　and　no　mistake；　and　all　the　history　of　civilization　could　show　nothing　on　the　table　of　mankind　to　equal　it。　To　clap　that　joint　into　a　steamy　oven　would　have　been　a　crime　unpardonable　by　gods　and　man。　Have　I　not　with　my　own　eyes　seen　it　turning；　turning　on　the　spit？　The　scent　it　diffused　was　in　itself　a　cure　for　dyspepsia。

It　is　very　long　since　I　tasted　a　slice　of　boiled　beef；　I　have　a　suspicion　that　the　thing　is　being　rare。　In　a　household　such　as　mine；　the　〃round〃　is　impracticable；　of　necessity　it　must　be　large；　altogether　too　large　for　our　requirements。　But　ories　does　my　mind　preserve！　The　very　colouring　of　a　round；　how　rich　it　is；　yet　how　delicate；　and　how　subtly　varied！　The　odour　is　totally　distinct　from　that　of　roast　beef；　and　yet　it　is　beef　incontestable。　Hot；　of　course　with　carrots；　it　is　a　dish　for　a　king；　but　cold　it　is　nobler。　Oh；　the　thin　broad　slice；　with　just　its　fringe　of　consistent　fat！

We　are　sparing　of　condiments；　but　such　as　we　use　are　the　best　th