But if the ladies and gentlemen whom Mr Norrell met in London’s drawing-rooms and dining-parlours were generally disappointed in him, then he was becoming equally dissatisfied with them. He complained constantly to Mr Drawlight of the frivolous questions that they put to him, and said that the cause of English magic had not been furthered one whit by the hours he had spent in their company.

One dull Wednesday morning at the end of September Mr Norrell and Mr Drawlight were seated together in the library in Hanover-square. Mr Drawlight was in the middle of a long tale of something that Mr F. had said in order to insult Lord S., and what Lady D. had thought about it all, when Mr Norrell suddenly said, “I would be grateful, Mr Drawlight, if you could advise me on the following important point: has any body informed the Duke of Portland of my arrival in London?”⁷

“Ah! sir,” cried Drawlight, “only you, with your modest nature, could suppose it possible. I assure you all the Ministers have heard of the extraordinary Mr Norrell by now.”

“But if that is the case,” said Mr Norrell, “then why has his Grace sent me no message? No, I begin to think that they must be entirely ignorant of my existence – and so, Mr Drawlight, I would be grateful if you could inform me of any connexions in Government that you may have to whom I could apply.”

“The Government, sir?” replied Mr Drawlight.

“I came here to be useful,” said Mr Norrell, plaintively. “I had hoped by now to play some distinguished part in the struggle against the French.”

“If you feel yourself neglected, sir, then I am heartily sorry for it!” cried Drawlight. “But there is no need, I do assure you. There are ladies and gentlemen all over Town who would be happy to see any little tricks or illusions you might like to shew us one evening after dinner. You must not be afraid of overwhelming us – our nerves are all pretty strong.”

Mr Norrell said nothing.

“Well, sir,” said Mr Drawlight, with a smooth smile of his white teeth and a conciliatory look in his dark, liquid eyes, “we must not argue about it. I only wish I were able to oblige you but, as you see, it is entirely out of my power. The Government has its sphere. I have mine.”

In fact Mr Drawlight knew several gentlemen in various Government posts who might be very glad to meet Mr Drawlight’s friend and to listen to what that friend might have to say, in return for a promise from Mr Drawlight never to tell one or two curious things he knew about them. But the truth was that Mr Drawlight could see no advantage to himself in introducing Mr Norrell to any of these gentlemen; he preferred to keep Mr Norrell in the drawing-rooms and dining-parlours of London where he hoped, in time, to persuade him to perform those little tricks and what-not that Mr Drawlight’s acquaintance longed to see.