But Miss Nugent hoped in vain. Lady Clonbrony
never in her life generalised any observations, or drew any but a
partial conclusion from the most striking facts.
'Lord! my dear Grace!' said she, as soon as they were seated in their
carriage, 'what a scrape I got into to-night at supper, and what
disgrace I came to!--and all this because I did not know Lady
Oranmore. Now you see the inconceivable disadvantage of not knowing
everybody--everybody of a certain rank, of course, I mean.'
Miss Nugent endeavoured to slide in her own moral on the occasion, but
it would not do.
'Yes, my dear, Lady Oranmore may talk in that kind of style of Ireland,
because, on the other hand, she is so highly connected in England; and,
besides, she is an old lady, and may take liberties; in short, she is
Lady Oranmore, and that's enough.'
The next morning, when they all met at breakfast, Lady Clonbrony
complained bitterly of her increased rheumatism, of the disagreeable,
stupid party they had had the preceding night, and of the necessity of
going to another formal party that night, the next, and the next,
and, in the true fine lady style, deplored her situation, and the
impossibility of avoiding those things,
Which felt they curse, yet covet still to feel.
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