Епоха невинності

           MansonMingott,whosemonstrousobesityhadlongsincemadeitimpossibleforhertoattendtheOpera,butwhowasalwaysrepresentedonfashionablenightsbysomeoftheyoungermembersofthefamily.Onthisoccasion,thefrontoftheboxwasfilledbyherdaughter-in-law,Mrs.LovellMingott,andherdaughter,Mrs.Welland;andslightlywithdrawnbehindthesebrocadedmatronssatayounggirlinwhitewitheyesecstaticallyfixedonthestagelovers.AsMadameNilsson’s"M’ama!"thrilledoutabovethesilenthouse(theboxesalwaysstoppedtalkingduringtheDaisySong)awarmpinkmountedtothegirl’scheek,mantledherbrowtotherootsofherfairbraids,andsuffusedtheyoungslopeofherbreasttothelinewhereitmetamodesttulletuckerfastenedwithasinglegardenia.Shedroppedhereyestotheimmensebouquetoflilies-of-the-valleyonherknee,andNewlandArchersawherwhite-glovedfinger-tipstouchtheflowerssoftly.Hedrewabreathofsatisfiedvanityandhiseyesreturnedtothestage.Noexpensehadbeensparedonthesetting,whichwasacknowledgedtobeverybeautifulevenbypeoplewhosharedhisacquaintancewiththeOperahousesofParisandVienna.Theforeground,tothefootlights,wascoveredwithemeraldgreencloth.Inthemiddledistancesymmetricalmoundsofwoollygreenmossboundedbycroquethoopsformedthebaseofshrubsshapedlikeorange-treesbutstuddedwithlargepinkandredroses.