account. One of those nasty croopy coughs, you know, and hoops with
it. But she's almost well already. I will say it's a wonderful air.
Still, the worst of Margate is, one isn't likely to meet a soul one
knows!

_Mrs. All._ Well, that's the charm of it--to me. One has enough of
that during the Season.

_Mrs. Ard._ (_recognising the superiority of this view_). Indeed one
has. What a whirl it has been to be sure!

[Illustration: "Dear, dear! _not_ a county family!"]

_Mrs. All._ The Season? Why, I never remember one with so little
doing. Most of the best houses closed--hardly a single really smart
party--one or two weddings--and that's positively all!

_Mrs. Ard._ (_slightly crushed, in spite of a conviction
that--socially speaking--Balham has been rather more brilliant than
usual this year._) Yes, that's very true. I suppose the Elections have
put a stop to most things?

_Mrs. All._ There never was much going on. _I_ should rather have said
it was Marlborough House being shut up that made everything so dull
from the first.

_Mrs. Ard._ Ah, that _does_ make such a difference, doesn't it?
(_She feels she must make an effort to recover lost ground._) I fully
expected to be at Homburg this year.