An
exception was made in favour of public tea-meetings. At a public
tea-meeting a blessing was always asked and a hymn was always sung.
For some time nothing remarkable was said. The weather was very hot,
and Mrs. Coleman complained. It had been necessary to keep up a fire
for the sake of the kettle. The Major promptly responded to her
confession of faintness by opening the window wider, by getting a
shawl to put over the back of her chair; and these little attentions
she rewarded by smiles and particular watchfulness over his plate and
cup. At last he and Jean fell to talking about the jubilee which was
to take place on the first of the next month to celebrate the
centenary of the "accession of the illustrious family of Brunswick to
the throne"--so ran the public notice. There was to be a grand
display in the parks, a sham naval action on the Serpentine, and a
balloon ascent.
"Are you going, Caillaud?" said the Major. "It will be a holiday."
"We," cried Pauline--"we! I should think not. WE go to rejoice over
your House of Brunswick; and it is to be the anniversary of your
battle of the Nile too! WE go! No, no."
"What's your objection to the House of Brunswick? And as for the
battle of the Nile, you are no friend to Napoleon.
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