"Little Dicky Brand summed up Mrs. Do-and-don't rather well," pursued
Garth. "She was calling at Wimpole Street, on Lady Brand's 'at home'
day. And Dicky stood talking to me, in his black velvets and white
waistcoat, a miniature edition of Sir Deryck. He indicated Mrs.
Do-and-don't on a distant lounge, and remarked: 'THAT lady never KNOWS;
she always THINKS. I asked her if her little girl might come to my
party, and she said: "I think so." Now if she had asked ME if I was
coming to HER party, I should have said: "Thank you; I am." It is very
trying when people only THINK about important things, such as little
girls and parties; because their thinking never amounts to much. It
does not so much matter what they think about other things--the
weather, for instance; because that all happens, whether they think or
not. Mummie asked that lady whether it was raining when she got here;
and she said: "I THINK not." I can't imagine why Mummie always wants to
know what her friends think about the weather. I have heard her ask
seven ladies this afternoon whether it is raining. Now if father or I
wanted to know whether it was raining we should just step over to the
window, and look out; and then come back and go do with really
interesting conversation. But Mummie asks them whether it is raining,
or whether they think it has been raining, or is going to rain; and
when they have told her, she hurries away and asks somebody else. I
asked the thinking lady in the feather thing, whether she knew who the
father and mother were, of the young lady whom Cain married; and she
said: "Well, I do; and I don't." I said: "If you DO, perhaps you will
tell me. And if you DON'T, perhaps you would like to take my hand, and
we will walk over together and ask the Bishop--the one with the thin
legs, and the gold cross, talking to Mummie." But she thought she had
to go, quite in a hurry. So I saw her off; and then asked the Bishop
alone. Bishops are most satisfactory kind of people; because they are
quite sure about everything; and you feel safe in quoting them to
Nurse. Nurse told Marsdon that this one is in "sheep's clothing,"
because he wears a gold cross. I saw the cross; but I saw no sheep's
clothing. I was looking out for the kind of woolly thing our new curate
wears on his back in church. Should you call that "sheep's clothing"? I
asked father, and he said: "No. Bunny-skin." And mother seemed as
shocked as if father and I had spoken in church, instea