Page:Romance & Reality 1.pdf/322

316 "Would Lady Walsingham enjoy hearing to-day what is said of her fête yesterday?" "Ah!" exclaimed Emily, "how unkind, how unjust this is!" "You remember the old proverb, 'a fair exchange is no robbery,' or the anecdote of Piron, who said that the only speeches necessary on admission to the French Academy were for the received to say, ' Grand merci, messieurs;' and for the receivers to reply, ' Il n'y a pas de quoi.' Most hosts and guests might exchange these courtesies; and the ' Grand merci ' of vanity might be answered by the ' Il n'y a pas de quoi ' of ostentation. We speak ill of our neighbours, not from ill-nature, but idleness; satire is only the cayenne of conversation: people have so few subjects for talking about in common with their friends but their friends; and it is utterly impossible to dress them as Fontenelle did his asparagus, toute en huile." "One reason why Mr. Heathcote, who dines here to-day, is called so entertaining is, that, like the conquerors of old, he gives no quarter." "I regret my absence," said Lorraine; "but I have promised to go and congratulate Lady Lauriston on her leaving the oaks of her park