I'm no longer young
and hearty. I'm--"
"Well, why do you hesitate? Go on. Do you mean to say you don't want
to hear it again?"
"God knows, sor, I'm willing to give up wan evenin' to society. We all
are, for that matter. But it takes an hour an' a half to read the
blissed story. If we could only sit down during the recital, sor, it--
it wouldn't be so bad. But as it is, sor, we have to stand and only
our legs and feet can go to sleep. If--"
"I see!" cried Mr. Bingle. "You put me to shame, Delia. I never
thought of it in that light. You must have chairs. We will delay the
reading while you go to the dining-room and--"
"It's all right, sor. We've got the dining-room chairs in the hall. It
was me as thought of thim, sor. Go wan wid yez now, lads, and rush
thim in."
Mrs. Bingle took advantage of this unusual delay--or respite--and
explained to Mrs. Force that she would never go back to Madame Marie
for another gown. All one had to do was to look at the dress she was
wearing to-night for the first time. "It has just come and it cost--
well, you know what a gown like that would cost at Marie's! And just
look at it!" Mrs.
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