"
"And I met Lady Parham in Marshall's," said Kitty. "She does thank so
badly! I should like to show her how to do it. Dear me!" Kitty sighed.
"Am I henceforth to live and die on Lady Parham's ample breast?"
She sat with one foot beating the floor, deep in meditation.
"And shall I tell you what mother said?" shouted Ashe through the door.
"Yes."
He repeated--so fat as dressing would let him a number of the charming
and considered phrases in which Lady Tranmore, full of relief, pleasure,
and a secret self-reproach, had expressed to him the effect produced
upon herself and a select public by Kitty's performance at the Parhams'.
Kitty had indeed behaved like an angel--an angel
en toilette de bal,
reciting a scene from Alfred de Musset. Such politeness to Lady Parham,
such smiles, sometimes a shade malicious, for the Prime Minister, who on
his side did his best to efface all memory of his speech of the week
before from the mind of his fascinating guest; smiles from the Princess,
applause from the audience; an evening, in fact, all froth and
sweetstuff, from which Lady Parham emerged grimly content, conscious at
the same time that she was henceforward very decidedly, and rather
disagreeably, in the Ashes' debt; while Elizabeth Tranmore went home in
a tremor of delight, happily persuaded that Ashe's path was now clear.
Pages:
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256