When it is said that all these costly luxuries appertained
to Mrs Montacute Jones, it is to be understood that they did in
truth belong to Mr Jones, of whom nobody heard much. But of Mrs
Jones,--that is, Mrs Montacute Jones,--everybody heard a great deal.
She was an old lady who devoted her life to the amusement of--not
only her friends, but very many who were not her friends. No doubt
she was fond of Lords and Countesses, and worked very hard to get
round her all the rank and fashion of the day. It must be
acknowledged that she was a worldly old woman. But no more good-
natured old woman lived in London, and everybody liked to be asked
to her garden-parties. On this occasion there was to be a
considerable infusion of royal blood,--German, Belgian, French,
Spanish, and of native growth. Everybody, who was asked would go,
and everybody had been asked,--who was anybody. Lord Silverbridge
had been asked, and Lord Silverbridge intended to be there. Lady
Mary his sister, could even be asked, because her mother was
hardly more than three months dead; but it is understood in the
world that women mourn longer than men.
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