Eustace presently said
that my mother had sent him in quest of me, and he conducted me
through the salon to another apartment, where the ladies, as before,
sat with their backs to the wall, excepting those who were at card-
tables, a party having been made up for Monsieur. On my way I was
struck both with the good mien and good sense of the young lawyer,
who still stood conversing with my brother after I had been restored
to my mother. The cloud cleared up from Annora's face as she
listened, making her look as lovely and as animated as when she was
in English company. The conversation was not by any means equally
pleasing to my mother, who, on the first opportunity, broke in with
'My son,' and sent my brother off in search of some distinguished
person to whom she wished to speak, and she most expressingly frowned
off his former companion, who would have continued the conversation
with my sister and me, where upon Nan's face, which was always far
too like a window, became once more gloomy.
When we went home, it appeared that my mother was will satisfied that
I should be invited to the Hotel de Rambouillet. It was a
distinguished thing to have the entree there, though for her part she
thought it very wearisome to have to listen to declamations about she
knew not what; and there was no proper distinction of ranks kept up,
any more than at the Hotel de Choisy, where one expected it. And,
after all, neither Monsieur nor Madame de Rambouillet were of the old
noblesse.
Pages:
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155