"You must really give us some kind of a party at your Henley place this
year, Mr. Wooster," she said. "There is the regatta now; I have positively
not seen the Henley regatta for three years. The Putney business is all
very well--supremely delightful, in short, while it lasts--but such a mere
lightning flash of excitement. I like a long day's racing, such as one gets
at Henley."
"Lady Laura ought to be aware that my house is at her disposal all the year
round, and that she has only to signify her pleasure to her most devoted
slave."
"O, that's all very well." replied my lady. "Of course, I know that if
Frederick and I were to come down, you would give us luncheon or dinner,
and let us roam about the gardens as long as we liked. But that's not what
I want. I want you to give a party on one of the race days, and invite all
the nice people in London."
"Are there any nasty people on this side of Temple-bar, Lady Laura, before
the closing of Parliament? I thought, in the season everybody was nice."
"You know what I mean, sir. I want the really pleasant people. Half-a-dozen
painters or so, and some of the nicest literary men--not the men who write
the best books, but the men who talk cleverly; and, of course, a heap of
musical people--they are always nice, except to one another. You must have
marquees on the lawn for the luncheon--your house is too small for anything
more than tea and coffee; and for once let there be no such thing as
croquet--that alone will give your party an air of originality.
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