Pagina 390 di 490

Her guests this evening were rather tedious. The fact was, as she

explained to Dorian, behind a very shabby fan, one of her married

daughters had come up quite suddenly to stay with her, and, to

make matters worse, had actually brought her husband with her. "I

think it is most unkind of her, my dear," she whispered. "Of

course I go and stay with them every summer after I come from

Homburg, but then an old woman like me must have fresh air

sometimes, and besides, I really wake them up. You don't know

what an existence they lead down there. It is pure unadulterated

country life. They get up early, because they have so much to do,

and go to bed early, because they have so little to think about.

There has not been a scandal in the neighbourhood since the time

of Queen Elizabeth, and consequently they all fall asleep after

dinner. You shan't sit next either of them. You shall sit by me

and amuse me."