Gee, I have to say I thought this was very good indeed. So many books set in Victorian drawing rooms among the titled and affluent go for wit and sparkle in the dialogue--Clark actually achieves it, and the narrative has the consistent touch of a good writer as well. Maybe some editing could have brought the book in at fewer pages, but for the most part, the prose doesn't feel self-indulgently lush to me. AND a real, well-researched social conscience saturates the story; there are not just facile references to the plights of those outside the carriage windows. A good novel to go to if you're interested in the long UK sojourn of Buffalo Bill's Wild West show.