We Each Purchased Dressing-
Cases And New Fittings, Francesca's Being Of Sterling Silver,
Salemina's Of Triple Plate, And Mine Of Celluloid, As Befitted Our
Several Fortunes.
Salemina read up on English politics; Francesca
practised a new way of dressing her hair; and I made up a portfolio
of sketches.
We counted, therefore, on representing American
letters, beauty, and art to that portion of the great English public
staying at Marjorimallow Hall. (I must interject a parenthesis here
to the effect that matters did not move precisely as we expected;
for at table, where most of our time was passed, Francesca had for a
neighbour a scientist, who asked her plump whether the religion of
the American Indian was or was not a pure theism; Salemina's partner
objected to the word 'politics' in the mouth of a woman; while my
attendant squire adored a good bright-coloured chromo. But this is
anticipating.)
Three days before our departure, I remarked at the breakfast-table,
Dawson being absent: "My dear girls, you are aware that we have
ordered fried eggs, scrambled eggs, buttered eggs, and poached eggs
ever since we came to Dovermarle Street, simply because we do not
know how to eat boiled eggs prettily from the shell, English
fashion, and cannot break them into a cup or a glass, American
fashion, on account of the effect upon Dawson. Now there will
certainly be boiled eggs at Marjorimallow Hall, and we cannot refuse
them morning after morning; it will be cowardly (which is
unpleasant), and it will be remarked (which is worse). Eating them
minced in an egg-cup, in a baronial hall, with the remains of a
drawbridge in the grounds, is equally impossible; if we do that,
Lady Marjorimallow will be having our luggage examined, to see if we
carry wigwams and war-whoops about with us.
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