Page:The council of seven.djvu/209

 highly distinguished personage in Heaven. To those best acquainted with the singularly complex character of the first minister of the Crown, this obsession of Mrs. Wilber's was a source of pure joy.

John Endor was too elemental to give overmuch thought to the Mrs. Wilbers of life. All the same, he had humor enough to appreciate his hostess' sovereign faculty of "putting her foot in it." Dinner had hardly begun when she was openly rebuked by a clever, charming, unconventional young daughter seated opposite Mr. Endor, for announcing "that it gave her so much pleasure to find that gentlemen were still to be found in politics."

"Really, mother!" Miss Clarice reproved her with the very latest Oxford inflection.

Mrs. Wilber shifted her ground a little, although maintaining the general position by asking after "dear Lady Elizabeth." She herself claimed to be of solid Middleshire county stock; indeed, one of her father's properties marched with Wyndham, and she was able to remember John's own father being acclaimed as one of the best men to hounds of his generation.

"And I hear you are going to be married, Mr. Endor."

Rather a blow this, to Miss Clarice, who brought her charming nose to the menu card before attacking a curry.

She bore up very well, in spite of the fact that she had already told herself privately that she would have