It was Mr. Percy’s policy to allow Lady Jane full liberty to finish all she wished to say without interruption; for when people are interrupted, they imagine they have much more to add. Let them go on, and they come to the end of their sense, and even of their words, sooner than they or you could probably expect.
“Now,” continued her ladyship, “to apply to living examples; you know Mrs. Paul Cotterel?”
“No.”
“Well!—Lady Peppercorn?”
“No.”
“Nor the Miss Blissets?”
“No.”
“That is the misfortune of living so much out of the world!—But there are the Falconers, we all know them at least—now look at the Miss Falconers.”
“Alas! we have not the honour of knowing even the Miss Falconers,” said Mr. Percy, “though they are our cousins.”
“Is it possible that you don’t know the Miss Falconers?”