"My dear Mary!" said Sir Timothy.

"But I know it can't be anybody pleasant, Timothy," said his wife,
with rather a mischievous twinkle, "for I owe calls to all the nice
people, and it's only the dull ones who come over and over again."

"You _owe_ calls, Mary!" said Lady Belstone, in horrified tones.

"I am afraid," said Miss Crewys, considerately lowering her voice as
the butler and footman crossed the hall to the outer vestibule, "that
dear Mary is more than a little remiss in civility to her neighbours."

"My dear admiral never permitted me to postpone returning a call for
more than a week. Royalty, he always said, the same day; ordinary
people within a week," said Lady Belstone.

"When royalty calls I certainly will return the visit the same day,"
said Lady Mary, petulantly. "But I cannot spend my whole life driving
along the high-roads from one house to another. I hate driving, as you
know, Isabella."

"What did Providence create carriages for but to be driven in?" said
Lady Belstone.

"You will give John a wrong impression of our worthy neighbours,
Mary," said Sir Timothy, pompously. "Personally, I am always glad to
see them."

"But you don't have to return their calls, Timothy," said Lady Mary.