Page:The Princess Casamassima (London and New York, Macmillan & Co., 1886), Volume 3.djvu/39

 working people, attempting to enter into their life: they held it was a great mistake. At this information the Princess looked much disappointed; she wished to know if the Muniments thought it was impossible to do them any good. 'Oh, I mean a mistake from our point of view,' said Lady Aurora. 'They wouldn't do it in our place; they think we had much better occupy ourselves with our own pleasures.' And as the Princess stared, not comprehending, she went on: 'Rosy thinks we have a right to our own pleasures under all circumstances, no matter how badly off the poor may be; and her brother takes the ground that we will not have them long, and that in view of what may happen we are great fools not to make the most of them.'

'I see, I see. That is very strong,' the Princess murmured, in a tone of high appreciation.

'I dare say. But all the same, whatever is going to come, one must do something.'

'You do think, then, that something is going to come?' said the Princess.

'Oh, immense changes, I dare say. But I don't belong to anything, you know.'

The Princess hesitated a moment. 'No more do I. But many people do. Mr. Robinson, for instance.' And she gave Hyacinth a familiar smile.

'Oh, if the changes depend on me!' the young man exclaimed, blushing.

'They won't set the Thames on fire—I quite agree to that!'

Lady Aurora had the manner of not considering that she had a warrant for going into the question of