My Novel, Book V by Edward Bulwer-lytton — Read

It was a fortunate thing that the dejeune dansant so absorbed Mr. Richard Avenel's thoughts that even the conflagration of his rick could not scare away the graceful and poetic images connected with that pastoral festivity. He was even loose and careless in the questions he put to Leonard about the tinker; nor did he send justice in pursuit of that itinerant trader; for, to say truth, Richard Avenel was a man accustomed to make enemies amongst the lower orders; and though he suspected Mr. Sprott of destroying his rick, yet, when he once set about suspecting, he found he had quite as good cause to suspect fifty other persons. How on earth could a man puzzle himself about ricks and tinkers when all his cares and energies were devoted to a /dejeune dansant/? It was a maxim of Richard Avenel's, as it ought to be of every clever man, "to do one thing at a time; " and therefore he postponed all other considerations till the /dejeune dansant/ was fairly done with.

Amongst these considerations was the letter which Leonard wished to write to the parson. "Wait a bit, and we will both write! " said Richard, good- humouredly, "the moment the dijeune dansant is over!"