Page:Lesbia Newman - Dalton - 1889.djvu/302

 ‘By no means,’ he returned, ‘and there’s nothing I should enjoy more than being corrected by you; I envy Dr Fairfax his shrift.’

‘I say, Mylitta, what does your husband think of it all, eh?’ asked Lesbia, nudging her friend maliciously.

‘Oh, Athelstan—bless you! he doesn’t interfere; we don’t agree about religion—he votes it all a bore, except the dinners on feast days; and so, as we can’t agree, we agree to differ. So long as I let him spend Sunday morning smoking in bed, and the rest of the day at his club, he says nothing about my spending it where I like, especially at a fashionable place of worship. Not that it would make much difference, if he did.’

‘While I think of it, Rose,’ said Lesbia, ‘we intend getting up a sort of rout and dance—if the weather will permit a tent ballroom on the lawn—at Dulham on Friday week. I hope you'll both be able to come? We have already over thirty acceptances.’

‘Yes, you must manage to come, Mrs Lockstable,’ Mr Bristley joined in; ‘we should miss you greatly; I look upon you now as one of the elect.’