When dinner had been some little time over, the women-folk went away and
got wraps and shawls, and the whole company passed outside, the men
lighting their cigars at the top of the steps. The heavens overhead were
now perfectly clear; the moonlight shone full on the long terrace, with
its parapets and pedestals and plaster figures, while all the world
below was shut away in a dense fog. Indeed, as the various groups idly
walked about or stood and talked--their shadows sharply cut as out of
ebony on the white stone--the whole scene was most extraordinary; for it
appeared as though these people were the sole occupants of some region
in cloud-land--a clear-shining region raised high above the forgotten
earth.
"Lehmann is lucky," Lionel said to Nina. "I thought his moonlight effect
was going to be a failure."
Miss Girond came up, in an eager and excited fashion.
"Nina!"
"What is it, Estelle?"
"Monsieur of the pretty face," she said, in a whisper, "oh, so sad he
was all dinner!--regarding Miss Burgoyne, and she coquetting, oh,
frightful, frightful!--but it is all right now--he was at the door when
we come out--he takes her hand--'How you do, Miss Burgoyne?'--'Oh, how
you do, Mr.
Pages:
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436