" She, her poodle, is the envy of Bath." With
what inspiration is the assertion charged. The envy of Bath. Theme how admirable for a poem, or an essay, or a novel,' with the choice of eighteen centuries for epoch. Who was she ? A Roman maiden ? A dowager ogling Beau Nash ? A gouty general's bewitching daughter in the nineteen- thirties ? Why not, for that matter, make her all three ? Literary aspirants are thick enough on the ground. But am I right ? Is it she, after all, or her poodle (named, obviously, Oliver), on whom languishing eyes in Circus, Crescent and Pump-room are turned ? To be honest, it may be either. They are alternatives. " She is the envy of Bath " ; " her poodle is the envy of Bath " ; you can have it as you will. Who said it, anyway ? I have no idea. But look up " envy " in the Concise Oxford Dictionary, as I did for reasons that an earlier paragraph in this column may indicate ; then you will know as much as I do.
Previous page
