“Duke of Brecon is coming to you on Thursday,” said the duke; “he told me so at White’s.”
“Perhaps you would like to know, duchess, whom you are going to meet,” said Lothair.
“I should much like to hear. Pray tell us.”
“It is a rather formidable array,” said Lothair, and he took out a paper. “First, there are all the notables of the county. I do not know any of them personally, so I wrote to each of them a letter, as well as sending them a formal invitation. I thought that was right.”
“Quite right,” said the duchess. “Nothing could be more proper.”
“Well, the first person, of course, is the lord-lieutenant. He is coming.”
“By-the-by, let me see, who is your lord-lieutenant?” said the duke.
“Lord Agramont.”
“To be sure. I was at college with him; a very good fellow; but I have never met him since, except once at Boodle’s; and I never saw a man so red and gray, and I remember him such a good-looking fellow! He must have lived immensely in the country, and never thought of his person,” said the duke in a tone of pity, and playing with his mustache.
“Is there a Lady Agramont?” inquired the duchess.