Cosmo's money which she spent in
this way. But she seldom did fail. She knew how to select her days,
so as not to fall foul of other events. It seldom happened that
people could not come to her because of a division which occupied
all the Members of Parliament, or that they were drawn away by the
superior magnitude of some other attraction in the world of fashion.
This giving of parties was her business, and she had learned it
thoroughly. She worked at it harder than most men work at their
trades, and let us hope that the profits were consolatory.

It was generally acknowledged to be the proper thing to go to Lady
Monk's parties. There were certain people who were asked, and who
went as a matter of course,--people who were by no means on intimate
terms with Lady Monk, or with Sir Cosmo; but they were people to have
whom was the proper thing, and they were people who understood that
to go to Lady Monk's was the proper thing for them. The Duchess of St
Bungay was always there, though she hated Lady Monk, and Lady Monk
always abused her; but a card was sent to the Duchess in the same way
as the Lord Mayor invites a Cabinet Minister to dinner, even though
the one man might believe the other to be a thief. And Mrs Conway
Sparkes was generally there; she went everywhere. Lady Monk did not
at all know why Mrs Conway Sparkes was so favoured by the world; but
there was the fact, and she bowed to it. Then there were another
set, the members of which were or were not invited, according to
circumstances, at the time; and these were the people who were
probably the most legitimate recipients of Lady Monk's hospitality.
Old family friends of her husband were among the number. Let the
Tuftons come in April, and perhaps again in May; then they will not
feel their exclusion from that seventh heaven of glory,--the great
culminating crush in July. Scores of young ladies who really loved
parties belonged to this set. The mothers and aunts knew Lady Monk's
sisters and cousins. They accepted so much of Lady Monk's good
things as she vouchsafed them, and were thankful. Then there was
another lot, which generally became, especially on that great July
occasion, the most numerous of the three. It comprised all those
who made strong interest to obtain admittance within her ladyship's
house,--who struggled and fought almost with tooth and nail to get
invitations. Against these people Lady Monk carried on an internecine
war. Had she not done so s