Besides, it would be a perfect godsend to thousands of unhappy bachelors, who sigh for the realities of domesticity amidst the artificiality and rottenness of London society.
Some good-natured Mayfair dame, I believe, introduced the "Kettledrum" for the especial saving of poor young men who did not know what to do with their afternoons in our arid Belgravian desert.

But, a little more is wanted besides five-o'clock tea; and, until it is granted, we will continue to have matrimonial infelicity, marriages "of convenience," and, no marriages at all! Now, I think, I have dilated enough upon the great question matrimonial.
I will not apologise for my digression, because I've only said what I have long wished and intended to say about it on the first convenient opportunity.

However, as I have at last succeeded in making a clean breast of the matter, I will revert to my original case.
Owing to the fact of our suburb being unfashionable, and our society humdrum, as already explained, I had the pleasure of associating more fully with Min, and seeing more of her domestic character than I might have done if we had been both of "the world," worldly; although, as I have also mentioned, I was not able to adore her at home very often, in consequence of my noticing that her mother did not like me--seeing which, of course I did not push my welcome at her house to too fine a point.
Don't think that Mrs Clyde was inhospitable.

Nothing of the sort.

She gave me a general invitation, on the contrary, to come in whenever I pleased of an evening "to have a little music;" giving expression at the same time to the sentiment, that she would be "very happy" to see me.
But, after that affair connected with Dicky Chips, I learnt caution.