'Philbrick is not an ordinary butler, said Dingy.
'No, indeed not, said the Doctor. 'I heartily deplore his jewellery.
'I didn't like Lady Circumference's speech, said Flossie. 'Did you?
'I did not, said the Doctor; 'nor, I think, did Mrs Clutterbuck. I thought her reference to the Five Furlong race positively brutal. I was glad Clutterbuck had done so well in the jumping yesterday.
'She rather wanders from the point, doesn't she? said Dingy 'All that about hunting, I mean.
'I don't think Lady Circumference is conscious of any definite divisions in the various branches of sport. I have often observed in women of her type a tendency to regard all athletics as inferior forms of foxhunting. It is not logical. Besides, she was nettled at some remark of Mr Cholmondley's about cruelty to animals. As you say, it was irrelevant and rather unfortunate. I also resented the reference to the Liberal Party. Mr Clutterbuck has stood three times, you know. Taken as a whole, it was not a happy speech. I was quite glad when I saw her drive away.
'What a pretty car Mrs Beste‑Chetwynde has got! said Flossie, 'but how ostentatious of her to bring a footman.
'I can forgive the footman, said Dingy, 'but I can't forgive Mr Cholmondley. He asked me whether I had ever heard of a writer called Thomas Hardy.
'He asked me to go to Reigate with him for the week-end, said Flossie, … in rather a sweet way, too.
'Florence, I trust you refused?