"I don't think I'm heartless at all," said Dolly. "I'm good-natured to everybody that is good-natured to me,—and to a great many people who ain't. I'm going all the way down to Caversham next week to see my sister married, though I hate the place and hate marriages, and if I was to be hung for it I couldn't say a word to the fellow who is going to be my brother-in-law. But I do agree about Carbury. It's very hard to be good-natured to him."
But, in the teeth of these adverse opinions Sir Felix managed to get his dinner-table close to theirs and to tell them at dinner something of his future prospects. He was going to travel and see the world. He had, according to his own account, completely run through London life and found that it was all barren.
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"In life I've rung all changes through, Run every pleasure down, 'Midst each excess of folly too, And lived with half the town." |
Sir Felix did not exactly quote the old song, probably having never heard the words. But that was the burden of his present story. It was his determination to seek new scenes, and in search of them to travel over the greater part of the known world.
"How jolly for you!" said Dolly.
"It will be a change, you know."
"No end of a change. Is any one going with you?"
"Well;—yes. I've got a travelling companion;—a very pleasant fellow, who knows a lot, and will be able to coach me up in things. There's a deal to be learned by going abroad, you know."
"A sort of a tutor," said Nidderdale.
"A parson, I suppose," said Dolly.