Lady friend of my wife's wants us to "try her tea"! Seems she's
started (with two other Ladies) as Firm of Tea Merchants in City. What
_are_ we coming to? Or rather, what are male Tea Merchants coming to?
Mr. Registrar BROUGHAM, most likely. In incautious moment--as I was
out--wife promised to give her an order for a couple of pounds of her
"best Ceylon Mixture."
Tried it. Never tasted such vile stuff! Wife agrees, and asks me to
call at the Firm's Offices and see if they haven't got anything with
more Ceylon and less Mixture in it. Don't much like the job. How
can one blow up a woman whom one will have to meet in one's own
drawing-room, calling?
Have looked in. Must say that Tea-dealeress is better than her
tea. Really quite an attractive person. The three of them gave me
afternoon tea in a little sanctum behind the shop, and chatted _most_
pleasantly. My wife's friend the head of Firm. Said the Ceylon Mixture
was a mistake--really intended for kitchen use--but as they've only
just started business, their stocks have got jumbled together. She
hoped--quite penitently--that I would "overlook the error."
What _could_ I say? What I _did_ was to order a whole box of their
"Incomparable Congou," at four shillings a pound.
Wife (when I tell her of this) seems surprised. Says "she won't
send _me_ shopping again." But can one call this cosy--this
tea-cosy--social visit to three accomplished women by the vulgar
term "shopping "?
Wife incautiously mentions that she is "out of Coffee." Gives me an
excuse to call on Firm again, and see if they sell Coffee too. Yes,
they do. Head of Firm more fascinating than ever. Asks me "if I
would mind, as a very great favour, mentioning her tea to all my City
friends? She _knows_ I have great influence in the City." Says this
with winning smile. Query--is not _Mincing_ Lane rather an appropriate
locality for Lady Tea-dealers?
Later. Wife has forbidden my ever going to Mincing Lane again! Says
the box of "Incomparable Congou" was mere "dust." So are my hopes!
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