'Didn't come to London to study society,' Sir Lionel answered, somewhat gruffly, for he thought there was much more to be said about Siam. 'I mean in that sort of way. I want to get some notions to take back to the King of Siam.'
'But might it not interest his Majesty to know of any change, if there were any, in London society during that time?' Rivers blandly asked.
'No, sir. His Majesty never was in England, and he could not be expected to take any interest in the small and superficial changes made in the tone or the talk of society during a few years. You might as well expect him to be interested in the fact that whereas when I was here last the ladies wore eel-skin dresses, now they wear full skirts, and some of them, I am told, wear a divided skirt.'
'But I thought such changes of fashion might interest the King,' Rivers remarked with an elaborate meekness.
'The King, sir, does not care about divided skirts,' Sir Lionel answered, with scorn and resentment in his voice.
'I must confess,' the Dictator said, glad to be free of Siam, 'that I have been much interested in observing the changes that have been made in the life of England—I mean in the life of London—since I was living here.'
'We have all got so Republican,' Sir Rupert said sadly.
'And we all profess to be Socialists,' Soame Rivers added.
'There is much more done for the poor than ever there was before,' Lord Courtreeve pleaded.
'Because so many of the poor have got votes,' Rivers observed.