Her head was quite turned, and nothing but the
consciousness that Howel was present kept it on her shoulders at all;
but the fear of a lecture for some mistake in manners kept her so much
on her guard, that she got through the evening wonderfully, and achieved
what Mme. Duvet called _un grand succes_.
And Howel danced, and talked, and introduced his friends, and patronised
everybody, much as if he had been a feudal monarch amongst his barons.
Here and there might have been seen a suppressed smile, as one of the
company whispered to another, 'Where is Mrs Griffey Jenkins to-night?
What would old Griff, the miser, say to those diamonds? I wonder his
very ghost doesn't appear?' but still money won its usual way. And when
Howel's chariot came to the door, there were more surprised and admiring
eyes fixed upon it from the bystanders without, than on that of any
other of the assembled party. As Mrs Griffey Jenkins said when she heard
of the evening gaieties,--
'Deet to goodness, and my Howel's was grander than any one. I do answer
for that. Now his is a beauty carriage and horses, and servants as grand
as Queen Victoria's or Prince Albert's, for I did be seeing them in
London myself.'
CHAPTER XXX.
THE PATRON.
Pages:
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410