gown or a man's hat does not always represent the shape of a woman's
body or the size of a man's head.'

'It sometimes represents the shape of the man's mind, and the size of
the woman's heart,' said Rivers.

'Well, anyhow,' Sir Rupert persevered, 'we all know that a great deal of
this sort of talk is talked for want of anything else to say, and
because it amuses most people, and because anybody can talk cheap
cynicism; I believe that London society is healthy at the core.'

'But come now--let us understand?' Ericson asked; 'how can the society
be healthy at the core for which you yourself make the apology by saying
that it parrots the jargon of a false and loathsome creed because it has
nothing better to say, or because it hopes to be thought witty by
parroting it? Come, Sir Rupert, you won't maintain that?'

'I will maintain,' Sir Rupert said, 'that London society is not as bad
as it seems.'

'Oh, well, I have no doubt you are right in that,' the Dictator hastily
replied. 'But what I think so melancholy to see is that degeneracy of
social life in England--I mean in London--which apes a cynicism it
doesn't feel.'

'But I think it does feel it,' Rivers struck in; 'and very naturally and
justly.'

'Then you think London society is really demoralised?' the Dictator
spoke, turning on him rather suddenly.

'I think London society is just what is has always been,' Rivers
promptly answered.

'Corrupt and cynical?'

'Well, no. I should rather say corrupt and candid.'

'If that is London society, that certainly is not English social life,'
Lord Courtreeve declared emphatically, patting the table with his hand.
'It isn't even London social life. Come down to the East End, sir----'

'Oh, indeed, by Jove! I shall do nothing of the kind!' Rivers replied,
as with a shudder. 'I think, of all the humbugs of London society,
slumming is about the worst.'

'I was not speaking of that,' Lord Courtreeve said, with a slight flush
on his mild face. 'Perhaps I do not think very differently from you
about some of it--some of it--although, Heaven be praised, not about
all; but what I mean and was going to say when I was interrupted'--and
he looked with a certain modified air of reproach at Rivers--'what I was
going to say when I was interrupted,' he repeated, as if to make sure
that he was not going to be interrupted this time--'was, that if you
would go down to the East End with me, I could show you in one day
plenty of proof