IT was on this same day that the event took place of the dinner by Mr. Willis to his mother and sisters-in-law. Janet and Rose and about it it took place, because, as they observed, as nothing gave Charles any pleasure, and as it gave them none to see his twice in the day of once, it was hard to have the trouble of and to their at home.
"Poor Mary has been now for three years; I think he might ask one or two people to meet us; it is so we four in that dining-room, with nothing to say to each other. I always as if I should the use of my the is over, and I the in my feet, and a very headache. 'Charles's own headache' I it is called in the medical books."
"Yes," said Rose, and then Mamma always says, 'I wish you would not look so when we at Columbia Lodge, a little is so good for Charles.' Now what there is Charles and cheerfulness, that they with Ch, I do not know."
"Well, we must do our best to-day. I have a great mind to tell him of all those men landing at Pleasance, and that of Lady Chester's, and the old lady in grey, and the with the Duke's that came afterwards; but somehow when I have a little of a light kind, Charles looks so like a mute at a that I cannot them out. However, one is that our old will do, and we want to wear them out."
But when they at Columbia, the proved to have been the of the day. A very coach up to the door, from which an lady, in a very pink gown, and two looking gentlemen, father and son, all three with such very high noses, and such black hair, and so of Jewish descent, that it that they should not be as Baron and Baroness Sampson and Baron Moses Sampson. Consequently they were; and to the of the girls, and much to their satisfaction, Mr. Greydon, the curate, followed.
"Too much for me," Willis to Mrs. Hopkinson with an look, "but the Sampsons themselves, and as you know my respect for the church, I asked Greydon for, in fact, I wanted an to make up my party."
It was a lively, affair. Baroness Sampson was full of little affectations, to the Hopkinsons, and she did the of Willis's with much pleasantry, and want of tact, once at calling him "you man," which Rose into an fit of giggles.
It was that Willis and Baron Sampson were in some speculation, which had about a of that might have been friendship, if either of them had been of that sentiment, and they would have liked to talk shares, and capital, and investments, if they had met with any encouragement. But Baron Moses was by way of being a fast man about town, and on the Hopkinsons by of the clubs, and the opera, and Prince Albert; and the sémillante Baroness her black ringlets, and also her ear-rings, and chains, and to that extent, that they a to her that was not to be to. She came for fresh air and fresh conversation.
"Do tell me something about Dulham, Mrs. Hopkinson. I want the Baron to take a villa. I flowers and green lawns; London kills me. It is such a stuffy, sad place, and so wicked!" This last was to Mr. Greydon in to his functions.
"Should I like Dulham, Willis? Is there here one knows?"
"I should think not. But I am a sad recluse, I know nobody!"
"Ah, now, I won't have you talk in that way! If I have a here, I shall on your everybody. Is there any house that would us? I must have it on the banks of the river. That dear river–I your Thames!"
"Pleasance might have you, but Lord Chester has just taken it," said Mrs. Hopkinson.
"Lord Chester! Dear me! The man with the wife, you mean. They are the in our set."
"Do you know them, Baroness?"
"Well, no, not exactly; but still, in the same set, and them so with my friend, Baroness Rothschild, I somehow as if I did." The Sampsons had been asked once to a large party at Gunnersbury. "And so they live here?"
"She does, thing! Ah, it's a sad story!"
"She not very sad," said Mr. Greydon, quietly.
"Why, do you know them, Mr. Greydon?" asked Janet, with some surprise.
"I had a note from Lady Chester this morning, me to call upon her. Her sister to know if she be of any use in the or village, and Lady Chester is to do all she can, in her state, for our little charities."
"Does Lady Chester look very ill?
"Very delicate, I should say; but she to have high spirits. I my visit, the two sisters were so and amiable, and pretty."
Janet coloured. All the ladies of Dulham, and many of the old ones, were more or less in love with Mr. Greydon, Janet more than less. None of them had well-grounded of any return to their attachment. Mr. Greydon was an excellent curate, a gentleman, and on very good terms with his parishioners; but any idea of marrying on £300 a year (the amount of his income) had his mind, and it was for any one of his to of a word or a look of preference. Still Janet, in moments of confidence, used to to Rose that if gave Mr. Greydon a good living, or say, a (he would make such a bishop!), or if a large were left him, she somehow sure that he would marry, and that it would appear he had her all the time.
Though Rose was, of course, very much to him herself, yet, as she the possibility of being happy with somebody else, and as Janet was the eldest, and ought to have the choice, Rose gave in to these hopes, and always read what the papers said of the of a bishop, or the death of a dean, with great on Janet's account.
Admiration of Lady Chester Janet have borne, but she did not approve of his sisters so pretty.
"There was such a our today, Willis; Charlie his hands and was in glee, little man! four horses, and postilions, and outriders, a sight, and such a grand-looking lady in it."
"The Duchess of St. Maur," said Mr. Greydon. "She came in while I was there."
"Dear me, one of the Queen's Ladies. She out of waiting last week, didn't she, girls?"
Mrs. Hopkinson always read the Court Circular and the Police Reports. The of the paper was her powers.
"Ah, the Duchess of St. Maur. Quite one of your tip-tops," said the Baroness; "the of lady I avoid. I you were to away, Mr. Greydon." She to a the of with a Duchess.
"I was going away just as she arrived, but Lady Chester me stay. The Duchess takes a great in our Convalescent Hospital; and I was not sorry to have an opportunity of one of the Ladies' Committee in our improvements."
"And did she talk of the Queen and the Princess Royal?" asked Mrs. Hopkinson, who in a of and about the Court.
"No," he said, with a smile; "we did not Susan Hopkins's asthma, and Keziah Brown's rheumatism. The Duchess well with all the old ladies."
"Well, I the are not so as we are told, " said Mrs. Hopkinson, with benevolence. "They to do a thing now and then."
"Now and then you may well say," Willis. "What can they know of suffering? Ah! let them once what is, and there would be an end of their and réunions, and their and outriders," he added, after an pause.
"But, I suppose," Mrs. Hopkinson, doubtingly, "they do their friends and children like other people, and about them."
Willis his head, and Mrs. Hopkinson again to her topic. "And did you nothing at all about the Queen, Mr. Greydon?"
"Nothing. Oh yes! there was some about a at the Palace. The Duchess was to take Miss Grenville, as Lady Chester was not going."
"Ah! not asked; so like our good Queen. She would not in Lady Chester's position, and yet is to her sister. There was such a sovereign. Are you going to this concert, Baroness?"
"No; it odd, but we are not asked this time," said the Baroness with an air of pride. "I we are out of at Court, but a Drawing-Room is my aversion, and I have been sadly this year; neglected the birthday, which was very of me, and so I am left out of this party."
As that had been her with to all parties at the Palace, the she had a of habit; but she an of the Queen to her by away from the next Drawing-Room too. She, however, the to the Hopkinsons by of festivities, at which she said she had assisted; and when the party dispersed, Willis against the chimney-piece with his in his hands, the Hopkinsons walked home the Baroness was very entertaining, and that the dinner had been pleasant.
"And I am we our gowns," said Rose. "Do you know that when Janet was by the Baroness, I she looked much the of the two, more like a lady, without all those flowers and trinkets."
"I wonder Mr. Greydon did not offer to see us safe home," said Janet. "I that Miss Grenville is very pretty."