The Duke of Omnium Thinks of Himself The blaze made by the Duchess of Omnium during the three months of the season up in London had been very great, but it was little in comparison with the social coruscation expected to be achieved at Gatherum Castle,--little at least as far as public report went, and the general opinion of the day.

No doubt the house in Carlton Gardens had been thrown open as the house of no Prime Minister, perhaps of no duke, had been opened before in this country; but it had been done by degrees, and had not been accompanied by such a blowing of trumpets as was sounded with reference to the entertainments at Gatherum.
I would not have it supposed that the trumpets were blown by the direct order of the Duchess.

The trumpets were blown by the customary trumpeters as it became known that great things were to be done,--all newspapers and very many tongues lending their assistance, till the sounds of the instruments almost frightened the Duchess herself.
"Isn't it odd," she said to her friend, Mrs.Finn, "that one can't have a few friends down in the country without such a fuss about it as the people are making ?" Mrs.Finn did not think that it was odd, and so she said.

Thousands of pounds were being spent in a very conspicuous way.

Invitations to the place even for a couple of days,--for twenty-four hours,--had been begged for abjectly.