United States or Cameroon ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
But on occasions such as the present, Mr Pomney came out strong. He had the honour of the family at heart; he thoroughly appreciated the duties of hospitality; and therefore, when gala doings were going on, always took the management into his own hands and reigned supreme over master and mistress.
If you'll have side saddles on the nags, and let them go at the quintain too, it'll answer capital, no doubt. Miss Thorne made no reply. She felt that she had no good ground on which to defend her sex of the present generation, from the sarcasm of Mr Pomney.
There was her own brother Wilfred, on whose shoulders rested the all the ancient honours of Ullathorne House; it was very doubtful whether even he would consent to 'go at the quintain', as Mr Pomney not injudiciously expressed it. And now the morning arrived. The Ullathorne household was early on the move.
To give Mr Pomney his due, old as he was, he thoroughly understood such work as he had in hand, and did it well. The order of the day was to be as follows. The quality, as the upper classes in rural districts are designated by the lower with so much true discrimination, were to eat a breakfast, and the non-quality were to eat a dinner.
Two marquees had been erected for these two banquets, that for the quality on the esoteric or garden side of a certain deep ha-ha; and that for the non-quality on the exoteric or paddock side of the same. Both were of huge dimensions; that on the outer side, one may say, on an egregious scale; but Mr Pomney declared that neither would be sufficient.
Had she not been made throughout of the very finest whalebone, rivetted with the best Yorkshire steel, she must have sunk under them. Had not Mr Pomney felt how much was justly expected from a man who at one time carried the destinies of Europe in his boot, he would have given way; and his mistress, so deserted, must have perished among her poles and canvass.
If she put them on the lawn, no one would go into the parlour; if she put them into the parlour, no one would go into the tent. She thought of keeping the old people in the house, and leaving the lawn to the lovers. She might as well have seated herself at once in a hornet's nest. Mr Pomney knew better than this.
If the Lord Johns and Lord Georges didn't ride at the quintain, Miss Thorne might be sure that nobody else would. 'But, said she in dolorous voice, all but overcome by her cares; 'it was specially signified that there were to be sports. 'And so there will be, of course, said Mr Pomney. 'They'll all be sporting with the young ladies in the laurel walks.
Word Of The Day