'that I
have been much interested in observing the changes that have been made
in the life of England--I mean in the life of London--since I was living
here.'

'We have all got so Republican,' Sir Rupert said sadly.

'And we all profess to be Socialists,' Soame Rivers added.

'There is much more done for the poor than ever there was before,' Lord
Courtreeve pleaded.

'Because so many of the poor have got votes,' Rivers observed.

'Yes,' Sir Lionel struck in with a laugh, 'and you fellows all want to
get into the House of Commons or the County Council, or some such place.
By Jove! in my time a gentleman would not want to become a County
Councillor.'

'I am not troubling myself about English politics,' the Dictator said.
'I do not care to vex myself about them. I should probably only end by
forming opinions quite different from some of my friends here, and, as I
have no mission for English political life, what would be the good of
that? But I am much interested in English social life, and even in what
is called Society. Now, what I want to know is how far does society in
London represent social London, and still more, social England?'

'Not the least in the world,' Sir Rupert promptly replied.

'I am not quite so sure of that,' Soame Rivers interposed, 'I fancy most
of the fellows try to take their tone from us.'

'I hope not,' the Dictator said.

'So do I,' added Sir Rupert emphatically; 'and I am quite certain they
do not. What on earth do you know about it, Rivers?' he asked almost
sharply.

'Why shouldn't I know all about it, if I took the trouble to find out?'
Rivers answered languidly.

'Yes, yes. Of course you could,' Sir Rupert said benignly, correcting
his awkward touch of anger as a painter corrects some sudden mistake in
drawing. 'I didn't mean in the least to disparage your faculty of
acquiring correct information on any subject. Nobody appreciates more
than I do what you are capable of in that way--nobody has had so much
practical experience of it. But what I mean is this--that I don't think
you know a great deal of English social life outside the West End of
London.'

'Is there anything of social life worth knowing to be known outside the
West End of London?' Soame Rivers asked.

'Well, you see, the mere fact that you put the question shows that you
can't do much to enlighten Mr. Ericson on the one point about which he
asks for some enlightenment. He has been out of England for a great man