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546 THE ADVENTURES OF PHILIP
well-known epicure. "I never saw anything so shabby in my
life. What does the fellow mean by asking me to such a dinner ?"
"True," says the other, "it was an abominable dinner, Jones, as
you justly say ; but it was very profuse in him to give it. Don't
you see ?" and so both our good friends are agreed.
Ere many days were over the great yellow chariot and its
powdered attendants again made their appearance before Mrs.
Brandon's modest door in Thornhaugh Street, and Lady Ringwood
and two daughters descended from the carriage and made their way
to Mr. Philip's apartments on the second floor, just as that worthy
gentleman was sitting down to dinner with his wife. Lady Ringwood,
bent upon being gracious, was in ecstasies with everything
she saw—a clean house—a nice little maid—pretty picturesque
rooms—odd rooms—and what charming pictures ! Several of
these were the work of the fond pencil of poor J. J., who, as has
been told, had painted Philip's beard and Charlotte's eyebrow,
and Charlotte's baby a thousand and a thousand times. "May
we come in? Are we disturbing you? What dear little bits of
china ! What a beautiful mug, Mr. Firmin !" This was poor
J. J.'s present to his god-daughter. "How nice the luncheon
looks ! Dinner, is it ? How pleasant to dine at this hour !"
The ladies were determined to be charmed with everything round
about them.
" We are dining on your poultry. May we offer some to you
and Miss Ringwood ?" says the master of the house.
" Why don't you dine in the dining-room ? Why do you dine
in a bedroom ?" asks Franklin Ringwood, the interesting young son
of the Baron of Ringwood.
" Somebody else lives in the parlour," says Mrs. Philip. On
which the boy remarks, " We have two dining-rooms in Berkeley
Square. I mean for us, besides papa's study, which I mustn't go
into. And the servants have two dining-rooms and __________ "
" Hush !" here cries mamma, with the usual remark regarding
the beauty of silence in little boys.
But Franklin persists in spite of the " Hushes !" " And so we
have at Ringwood; and at Whipham there's ever so many diningrooms—ever
so many—and I like Whipham a great deal better
than Ringwood, because my pony is at Whipham. You have not
got a pony. You are too poor."
" Franklin !"
"You said he was too poor; and you would not have had
chickens if we had not given them to you. Mamma, you know
you said they were very poor, and would like them."
And here mamma looked red, and I daresay Philip's cheeks