but unfortunately deaf. She and the cavalry officer soon gave one another up: the cavalry officer, for me, the female philanthropist for a course of lectures to a weak-eyed man on her right—subject, parochial rates, I think.) The officer varied the conversation once, by remarking that Darwin did not appreciate the spirit of Nature, so leading the prude into a disquisition on Eternal Love; but, in the end disagreeing, they called me from my thoughts under the ceiling to give my opinion: found I knew nothing about the points in question, and so repeated them in their entirety for my edification—even to the disagreement.
'After dinner, when we joined the ladies, the prude motioned me to her side by a smile and a gesture. I heard the officer repeating his remark about Darwin to another prude (square-browed: lifeless, combed-back hair, slow eyes, and an altogether suggestiveness of "shoulder arms") just behind us. My own particular prude seemed for some time (that is, till I grew dreamy and inattentive) to have eyes, and I should say a good many tongues, for me only: then she carried me off, tripping over her spasmodic train, to her dear, dear friend Mrs. Basingstoke (to whom she really must introjooce me—a most cul-tivated and highly de-lightful crea-ture, she assured me!) and I was presented, as (in a whisper) "a most in-ter-esting young man, with de-cidedly marked tastes, my dear Mrs. Basingstoke" (VV^hat could I have been saying?)—"and—alas!—a rare endowment of young men now-a-days—earnest re-ligious con-victions."—Goats and monkeys!
'But jam satis!—After they were all gone, I stood frowning on the hearthrug.—Mr. Brooke came in from the Hall, having seen the last of them off.
'"Aha, Leicester," he said, "and how about those things from Taunton's? I was dressing when you came back. They are all right?"
'"Well, no, sir. The tubes had to be made on purpose"
'"I ordered them a fortnight ago."
'"And they came. But one of the people in the shop managed to crack one"
'"And the whole thing will have to be done again.
