Page:The Semi-detached House.djvu/47

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THE SEMI-DETACHED HOUSE.
39

But when they arrived at Columbia, the grey gowns proved to have been below the requirements of the day. A very showy coach drove up to the door, from which issued an equally showy lady, in a very bright pink gown, and two important looking gentlemen, father and son, all three with such very high noses, and such jet black hair, and so obviously of Jewish descent, that it seemed impossible that they should not be announced as Baron and Baroness Sampson and Baron Moses Sampson. Consequently they were; and to the surprise of the girls, and much to their satisfaction, Mr. Greydon the curate immediately followed.

"Too much for me," whispered Willis to Mrs. Hopkinson with an agonized look, "but the Sampsons invited themselves, and as you know my respect for the church, I asked Greydon; for, in fact, I wanted an eighth to make up my party."

It was altogether quite a lively affair. Baroness Sampson was full of facetious little affectations, absolutely affable to the Hopkin-