As it was, the young gentleman could gaze upon her
from afar; and she had bowed to him--with some surprise clearly showing
in her face--just as their eyes had met on his coming into the room.
Lionel was next to Nina; he had arranged that.
It was a protracted banquet, and a merry one withal; there was a perfect
Babel of noise; and the excellent old custom of drinking healths with
distant friends was freely adopted. Miss Girond did her best to amuse
the good-looking boy whom she had been instrumental in rescuing from his
solitary dinner in the coffee-room; but he did not respond as he ought
to have done; from time to time he glanced wistfully towards the head of
the table, where Miss Burgoyne was gayly chatting with Lord Denysfort.
As for Nina, Nina was very quiet, but very much interested, as her dark,
expressive eyes eloquently showed.
"It is so beautiful, Leo," she said. "Every one looks so well; is it the
light reflected from the table?" And then she said, in a lower tone,
"Do you see Miss Burgoyne, Leo? She is acting all the time. She is
acting to the whole table."
"That Albanian jacket of hers is gorgeous enough, anyway," Lionel
responded; he was not much interested apparently in the question of Miss
Burgoyne's behavior.
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