Page:Romance & Reality 2.pdf/176

174 acquired some experience by the way. Conversation commenced by Lady Mandeville's refusing some lampreys,—a dish, en passant, greatly resembling stewed adders. Mr. Trevyllian—"What! a negative? Ah, you ladies terribly neglect the sources of happiness! But you have so many within yourselves, that you may well slight some of those to which our unfortunate sex is obliged to have recourse." Lady Mandeville—"What! still retaining your Utopian visions of female felicity? To talk of our happiness!—ours, the ill-used and oppressed! You remind me of the ancient tyrant, who, seeing his slaves sink under the weight of their chains, said 'Do look at the indolent repose of those people!'" Mr. Trevyllian.—"You take white sauce, Miss Arundel? I was sure you would. That preference of white sauce to brown is a singular proof of female inferiority." Lord Mandeville.—"Inferiority! I thought, Mr. Trevyllian, you had been a devout believer in the perfection of the fairer world." Mr. Trevyllian.—"And so I am. I quite agree with the eastern sage who said, 'the rose was made from what was left of woman