In which the enduring charm and peculiar order of the Stoics’ Club come vividly to life, revealing a world where idleness is enshrined as a virtue and the landed gentry drift through pleasures and pursuits without occupation. Against this backdrop, George Pendyce and Mrs. Bellew share a quiet, intimate evening that glows with youthful affection amid the flickering attentions of waiters and the fading light of an old habitué’s gaze.