‘I see plainly enough,’ said the Marquis to Lily, ‘it is as Wat Greenwood says, “Mr. Reynold and the grapes.”’
‘But it is not,’ said Lily, ‘and that is what provokes me; papa says he is quite welcome to go if he likes, and that he thinks it will do him a great deal of good, but that foolish boy will say nothing but “I will think about it,” and “thank you”.’
‘Then I give him up as regularly dense.’
‘It is the most delightful plan ever thought of,’ said Lily, ‘so easily done, and just bringing within his compass all he ever wished to see.’
‘Oh! his sole ambition is to stretch those long legs of his on the grass, like a great vegetable marrow,’ said Lord Rotherwood. ‘It is vegetating like a plant that makes him so much taller than any rational creature with a little animal life.’
‘I think Jane has his share of curiosity,’ said Lily, ‘I am sure I had no idea that anything belonging to us could be so stupid.’
‘Well,’ said the Marquis, ‘I shall not go.’
‘No?’ said Lily.
‘No, I shall certainly not go.’
‘Nonsense,’ said Claude, waking from his pretended sleep, ‘why do you not ask Travers to go with you? He would like nothing better.’