Now, what do you
say to the idea of something to eat? We are not five minutes drive from
Simpson's, and I shall feel delighted if you will make a pleasure of a
necessity."
Lady Holmhurst, who was getting very hungry, said that she should be most
pleased, and, accordingly, they all--with the exception of Mr. John
Short, who departed about some business, saying that he would return at
three o'clock--drove off in Lady Holmhurst's carriage to the restaurant,
where this delightful specimen of the genus Registrar stood them a most
sumptuous champagne lunch, and made himself so agreeable, that both the
ladies nearly fell in love with him, and even Eustace was constrained to
admit to himself that good things can come out of the Divorce Court.
Finally, the doctor wound up the proceedings, which were of a most lively
order, and included an account of Augusta's adventures, with a toast.
"I hear from Lady Holmhurst," he said, "that you two young people are
going to take the preliminary step--um--towards a possible future
appearance in that Court with which I had for many years the honor of
being connected--that is, that you are going to get married. Now,
matrimony is, according to my somewhat extended experience, an
undertaking of a venturesome order, though cases occasionally come under
one's observation where the results have proved to be in every way
satisfactory; and I must say that, if I may form an opinion from the
facts as they are before me, I never knew an engagement entered into
under more promising or more romantic auspices.
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