Page 18 (1/2)

Princess Betsy drove ho for

the end of the last act She had only just ti, pale face with powder, rub it,

set her dress to rights, and order tea in the big drawing rooe house in

Bolshaia Morskaia Her guests stepped out at the wide entrance,

and the stout porter, who used to read the newspapers in the

lass door, to the edification of the

passers-by, noiselessly opened the i the

visitors pass by him into the house

Aled

coiffure and freshened face, walked in at one door and her guests

at the other door of the drawing roohtly lighted table, gleaht of candles, white cloth, silver sas

The hostess sat down at the table and took off her gloves

Chairs were set with the aid of foot almost

imperceptibly about the rooroups: one round the samovar near the hostess, the

other at the opposite end of the drawing room, round the handsome

wife of an ambassador, in black velvet, with sharply defined

black eyebrows In both groups conversation wavered, as it

always does, for the first few s, offers of tea, and as it were, feeling about for