“I do not propose to have games- romps, shall I call them?” she said, “for as far as I know Riseholme, and perhaps I know it a little better than dear Miss Bracely, Riseholme does not care for that sort of thing. It is not quite in our line; we may be right or wrong, I am sure I do not know, but as a matter of fact, we don’t care for that sort of thing. Dear Miss Bracely did her very best last night; I am sure she was prompted only by the most hospitable motives, but how should she know? The supper too. Peppino counted nineteen empty champagne bottles.” .
"Eighteen, carissima,” said Peppino.
“I think you told me nineteen, caro, but it makes very little difference. Eighteen empty champagne bottles standing on the sideboard, and no end to the caviar sandwiches which were left over. It was all too much, though there were not nearly enough chairs, and indeed I never got one at all except just at supper.” Lucia leaned forward over the table, with her hands clasped.
‘There was display about it, Georgino, and you know how I hate display,” she said. “Shakespeare was content with the most modest scenery for his masterpieces, and it would be a great mistake if we allowed ourselves to be carried away by mere wasteful opulence. In all the years I have lived here, and contributed in my humble way to the life of the place I have heard no complaints about my suppers or te . nor about the quality of entertainment which I offer my guests when they are so good as to say ‘Si,’ to a mic invitazione. Art is not advanced by romping, am: we are able to enjoy ourselves without two hundred caviar sandwiches being left over. And such wasteful cutting of the ham; I had to slice the chunk she gave me over and over again before I could eat it.” Georgie felt he could not quite let this pass.
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