"You show your common sense, because it would want strength to get a bumpkin through this quadrille. When I was young I was a famous dancer, everyone praised my figure and my deportment. Of course young ladies were carefully shielded in my youth from anything like familiar intercourse with the lower orders. Good gracious, Antonia is dancing with the cowman! I see her pinning up her dress. It serves her right; but, of course, the poor girl was brought up most strangely in Australia, so all this seems natural to her."
"Of course," said Miss Grossman, "that accounts for a good deal. Though my family was in straightened circumstances, I was brought up as a gentlewoman." This was more than Lady Dove could stand from a companion.
"It's strange how many people call themselves gentlefolks nowadays. In my youth you were in society or you were not. The Radicals have turned people's heads. We are all gentlemen and ladies now."
"I don't think so; there are very marked lines of demarcation even now. Of course, Lady Dove, you have generally had people of the class of Mrs. Faber with you, and cannot judge what is due to——"
"How ridiculous, Miss Grossman! We are talking at cross purposes. I meant County people. There is dear Lady Carew looking quite tired out, pray go and ask her to come up here."
Miss Grossman reluctantly obeyed, and presently returned followed by Lady Carew and Toney herself, for both were coming to get pinned up.
"How distressing! Your lovely dress, Lady Carew! I always said no one should come in nice clothes to dance with——"
"Aunt Dove, you don't know how they admired our dresses! I've heard lovely remarks. Lady Carew, they thought you were just like the dove in the ark!"
"How delicious! I don't mind my dress a bit, thank you; you seem to have provided plenty of pins, Miss Whitburn, you have thought of everything!"
"Everyone has danced at least once, I've seen to it, though one man declared 'twas wonderful folks did like whirly-gigging round so much!'"