'Lovely women,' said Mr Tupman.

'Wait a minute,' said the stranger, 'there will be more fun soon. The important people have not come yet - it's a strange place, this town. The important dockyard people don't speak to less important dockyard people - dockyard people of lower rank don't want to know any of the other inportant people in town. The other important people in town don't talk to shopkeepers and traders. The head of the dockyeard doesn't want to be friends with anybody.'

'Who's that little boy with the blond hair and pink eyes, wearing strange clothes?' asked Mr Tupman.

'Shh! please. Those pink eyes and fancy dress don't belong to a little boy. He is a young officer of the 97th Regiment of the British army. He's the Honourable Wilmot Snipe. The Snpies are a great family - very great.'

'Sir Thomas Clubber, Lady Clubber, and the Misses Clubber!' shouted the man at the door in a loud, strong voice. Everyone in the room was extremely interested in the arrival of a tall gentleman in a blue coat with bright buttons. With him was a large lady in a blue dress and two young ladies, also large, in fashionable dresses of the same blue colour.