Then came the dreaded moment when we entered the great
hall and advanced to meet Lady Killbally, who looked over our heads
to greet the missing Salemina. Francesca's beauty, my supposed
genius, both fell flat; it was Salemina whose presence was
especially desired. The company was assembled, save for one guest
still more tardy than ourselves, and we had a moment or two to tell
our story as sympathetically as possible. It had an uncommonly good
reception, and, coupled with the Irish letter I read at dessert,
carried the dinner along on a basis of such laughter and good-
fellowship that finally there was no place for regret save in the
hearts of those who knew and loved Salemina--poor Salemina, spending
her dull, lonely evening in our rooms, and later on in her own
uneventful bed, if indeed she had been lucky enough to gain access
to that bed. I had hoped Lady Killbally would put one of us beside
Dr. La Touche, so that we might at least keep Salemina's memory
green by tactful conversation; but it was too large a company to
rearrange, and he had to sit by an empty chair, which perhaps was
just as salutary, after all. The dinner was very smart, and the
company interesting and clever, but my thoughts were elsewhere. As
there were fewer squires than dames at the feast, Lady Killbally
kindly took me on her left, with a view to better acquaintance, and
I was heartily glad of a possible chance to hear something of Dr.
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