Gotobed, who was certainly in quest of
information.
"But it is what I have in view, Mr. Gotobed;--so if you please
we'll take the pre-eminence of your country for granted." Then she
turned to Mr. Mainwaring on the other side. Upon this the Senator
addressed himself for a while to the table at large and had soon
forgotten altogether the expression of the lady's wishes.
"I believe you have a good many churches about here," said Lady
Augustus trying to make conversation to her neighbour.
"One in every parish, I fancy," said Mr. Mainwaring, who preferred
all subjects to clerical subjects. "I suppose London is quite empty
now."
"We came direct from the Duke's," said Lady Augustus, "and did not
even sleep in town;--but it is empty." The Duke was the brother of
Lord Augustus, and a compromise had been made with Lady Augustus,
by which she and her daughter should be allowed a fortnight every
year at the Duke's place in the country, and a certain amount of
entertainment in town.
"I remember the Duke at Christchurch," said the parson. "He and I
were of the same par. He was Lord Mistletoe then. Dear me, that was
a long time ago. I wonder whether he remembers being upset out of a
trap with me one day after dinner. I suppose we had dined in
earnest. He has gone his way, and I have gone mine, and I've never
seen him since.
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