The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-01-13

kkONOct Guo oloVOhD
msadation to be sure TO soeld the PROBES
sor for his strange behaviour, if she
CHANGED to meet him, brought flush of
| color to her cheeks.
On ordinary evenings the Countess
c. received in small salon at the end
Of the suite; but on this evening even the
great ballroom was glittering with wax
lights, and crowded with black-coated
men and gaily attired women. All the
town, or rather everybody who was any
body in it, was there.
The lady of the house, voluble and
smiling as usual, stood near the door dis
pensing.. loud-voiced welcomes to her
friends, and introducing new corners to
one another with overwhelming rapidity.
Mrs Peel was delighted. Guests were
pouring in fast when she and Nelly ar
rived, and she would have liked to rn-
main close to their ever-cordial hostess.
1t amused her to watch the enormous
variety that the Countess impaired to her
greetings, which were alike in one partic-
ular each fresh arrival was received as
though he or she were the one person
needed to crown her felicity. Neither
did Mrs. Peel object to having five or six
people introduced to her in as many min
utes. Her widowhood, the suffering
state of one daughter and the youth Of
the other, had compelled her to lead a
very secluded life; but at heart she
loved society as dearly as the days of
her girlhood. Still, she was almost as
docile as an American mother; SO when
Nelly urgently begged her to come fur
ther up the room, she instantly obeyed.
"We shall see everybody so capitally
here, mamma" said the girl, looking
round restlessly, and spreading her skirts
over big diyan SO as to preserve the
power of making room for another per-
son.
Now, from this corner they certainly
had an excellent view of the backs of the
men congregated round the lion Of the
evening, the chief of the Opposition; and
among these backs was one surmounted
by the Professors familiar head, and
there was much energetic talk and ges-
ture going on; but all the well dressed
women and gay uniforms-in fact, all
the brilliant elements of the scene-were
quite hidden from them. Mrs. Peel said
something to that effect, but just then
the master Of the house came towards
them, gently rubbing his hands and
looking more than ever like an astute
tom-cat, as he purringly expressed his
satisfaction at being honored by the Eng
lish ladies' presence. He told them who
everyone was, and even presented one Of
the lesser notabilities before slipping
away to make some pretty speeches to the
Marchesa whose helmet Of black lace
could be seen towering up over the heads
of her guide in the adjoining room.
When rival chieftains of savage tribes
simulate friehdliness, they seldom visit
each other without following Of their
own, and thus the Marchesa was sur
rounded by a body-guard of her stanch-
est adherents, Spazzagalera among the
number. 1t was a peculiarly among the
leading ladies of this city, that on the oc-
casion of any large assembly like the
cdCu a VI HGl VWI,
SO that by the time the rooms were full
there was series of separate courts con-
gregated round each of them. A stran-
ger would have found it hard to divine |
who was the mistress of the house.
Presently Mrs. Peel wearied of her
quiet corner, rose to seek the Marchesa. 1
Nelly, unwillingly enough, was about to
follow her, when she suddenly saw the
Professor before her gazing at her with
sad and wistful eyes. She instantly held
out her hand.
"What have we done to you that you
should desert US so entirely?" she asked,
with slight quiver in her glad young
voice.
fro BIZ CONTINUED.