when
the Colonel called cheerily from his end of the table, "My dear Mrs.
Mackenzie, you don't take any wine to-day; may I not have the honour
of drinking a glass of champagne with you?" when the new boy from the
country upset some sauce upon her shoulder: when Mrs. Newcome made the
sign for departure; and I have no doubt in the drawing-room, when the
ladies retired thither. "Mrs. Mack is perfectly awful," Clive told me
afterwards, "since that dinner in Bryanstone Square. Lady Kew and Lady
Anne are never out of her mouth; she has had white muslin dresses
made just like Ethel's for herself and her daughter. She has bought a
Peerage, and knows the pedigree of the whole Kew family. She won't go
out in a cab now without the boy on the box; and in the plate for the
cards which she has established in the drawing-room, you know, Lady
Kew's pasteboard always will come up to the top, though I poke it down
whenever I go into the room. As for poor Lady Trotter, the governess of
St. Kitt's, you know, and the Bishop of Tobago, they are quite bowled
out: Mrs. Mack has not mentioned them for a week."

During the dinner it seemed to me that the lovely young lady by whom
I sate cast many glances towards Mrs. Mackenzie, which did not betoken
particular pleasure. Miss Ethel asked me several questions regarding
Clive, and also respecting Miss Mackenzie: perhaps her questions were
rather downright and imperious, and she patronised me in a manner that
would not have given all gentlemen pleasure. I was Clive's friend, his
schoolfellow? had I seen him a great deal? know him very well--very well
indeed? Was it true that he had been very thoughtless? very wild? Who
told her so? That was not her question (with a blush). It was not true,
and I ought to know? He was not spoiled? He was very good-natured,
generous, told the truth? He loved his profession very much, and
had great talent? Indeed she was very glad. Why do they sneer at
his profession? It seemed to her quite as good as her father's and
brother's. Were artists not very dissipated? Not more so, nor often so
much as other young men? Was Mr. Binnie rich, and was he going to
leave all his money to his niece? How long have you known them? Is Miss
Mackenzie as good-natured as she looks? Not very clever, I suppose. Mrs.
Mackenzie looks very--No, thank you, no more. Grandmamma (she is very
deaf, and cannot hear) scolded me for reading the book you wrote, and
took the book away. I afterwards got