Міжнародний епізод

           ”“Isupposewedanceagooddeal;butIhaveneverseenmuchofit.Wedon’tdoitmuch,atanyrate,insummer.AndIamsure,”saidBessieAlden,“thatwedon’thavesomanyballsasyouhaveinEngland.”“Really!”exclaimedLordLambeth.“Ah,inEnglanditalldepends,youknow.”“Youwillnotthinkmuchofourgaieties,”saidtheyounggirl,lookingathimwithalittlemixtureofinterrogationanddecisionwhichwaspeculiartoher.Theinterrogationseemedearnestandthedecisionseemedarch;butthemixture,atanyrate,wascharming.“Thosethings,withus,aremuchlesssplendidthaninEngland.”“Ifancyyoudon’tmeanthat,”saidLordLambeth,laughing.“IassureyouImeaneverythingIsay,”theyounggirldeclared.“Certainly,fromwhatIhavereadaboutEnglishsociety,itisverydifferent.”“Ahwell,youknow,”saidhercompanion,“thosethingsareoftendescribedbyfellowswhoknownothingaboutthem.Youmustn’tmindwhatyouread.”“Oh,IshallmindwhatIread!”BessieAldenrejoined.“WhenIreadThackerayandGeorgeEliot,howcanIhelpmindingthem?”“Ahwell,Thackeray,andGeorgeEliot,”saidtheyoungnobleman;“Ihaven’treadmuchofthem.”“Don’tyousupposetheyknowaboutsociety?”askedBessieAlden.“Oh,Idaresaytheyknow;theyweresoveryclever.Butthesefashionablenovels,”saidLordLambeth,“theyareawfulrot,youknow.”Hiscompanionlookedathimamomentwithherdarkblueeyes,andthenshelookeddowninthechasmwherethewaterwastumblingabout.“DoyoumeanMrs.