Епоха невинності
Chapter 8
TheduLacSevresandtheTrevennaGeorgeIIplatewereout;sowasthevanderLuyden"Lowestoft"(EastIndiaCompany)andtheDagonetCrownDerby.Mrs.vanderLuydenlookedmorethaneverlikeaCabanel,andMrs.Archer,inhergrandmother’sseed-pearlsandemeralds,remindedhersonofanIsabeyminiature.Alltheladieshadontheirhandsomestjewels,butitwascharacteristicofthehouseandtheoccasionthattheseweremostlyinratherheavyold-fashionedsettings;andoldMissLanning,whohadbeenpersuadedtocome,actuallyworehermother’scameosandaSpanishblondeshawl.TheCountessOlenskawastheonlyyoungwomanatthedinner;yet,asArcherscannedthesmoothplumpelderlyfacesbetweentheirdiamondnecklacesandtoweringostrichfeathers,theystruckhimascuriouslyimmaturecomparedwithhers.Itfrightenedhimtothinkwhatmusthavegonetothemakingofhereyes.TheDukeofSt.Austrey,whosatathishostess’sright,wasnaturallythechieffigureoftheevening.ButiftheCountessOlenskawaslessconspicuousthanhadbeenhoped,theDukewasalmostinvisible.Beingawell-bredmanhehadnot(likeanotherrecentducalvisitor)cometothedinnerinashooting-jacket;buthiseveningclothesweresoshabbyandbaggy,andheworethemwithsuchanairoftheirbeinghomespun,that(withhisstoopingwayofsitting,andthevastbeardspreadingoverhisshirt-front)hehardlygavetheappearanceofbeingindinnerattire.
