, 1891-10-06

ure, Miss Fitz-Murrayl" Your wife
unwell? What a pity, Mr.. Roylancei"
Eyes, like a fairy palace"
For, all the while that Sallie was de-
batting n matter of vital interest to her
self. she had been standing near the en-
trance to the drawing room, with Count
de Lisle on her left hand, receiving and
exchanging amenities with one group or
individual after another of arriving
guests. Everybody knows how readily
this duality of. nature develops itself
when any powerful impression is work
ing on the mind. The soul so seldom
has any part in the farrago of conven-
tional and automatic things that we
daily say and do, that when by chance
it is aroused it can attend to its affair
without being in the least disturbed by
the din of external things. Sallie, &C
cordingly, smiled and chatted fully as
well as usual, while her real thoughts
were ranging to and fro through the
past, and questioning the future in a
name that those who saw her standing
there in the soft light, glowing and
sparkling, would AVE been astonished
to even suspect.
Civilization seldom can show a fairer
scene han lay before Sallie's eyes that
evening. The guests seemed to have done
their best to render themselves harmo-
NOUS with their environment. The beau
tiful girls were never 80 beautiful be-
fore; the women with taste in dress were
never so tastefully dressed as this night;
the women with jewels never before so
shone and glittered. As for the men,
they could not array themselves in silks
and satins, as they might have done n
hundred years earlier, but they made up
for their plain black and white by wit
and good humor. Everybody was feel
ing interested. There had from the first
been curiosity to see how the count
would manage his entertainment, and
this curiosity had now taken on a deeper
and livelier one. The company felt that
it was going to pass AZ evening that it
would remember, and hat whatever ex-
pectations might be aroused, the count
was quite able to surpass them without
much exerting himself. Everything went
forward easily and without hitch, and
the count was the most -unconcerned
and care free person in the house. He
never gave an order, or seemed to have
a thought save of pleasure at the pleas
ure of his guests. His bearing was pro-
nounced perfect by the best critics pres
ent-and some formidable ones were
there-and in addition he appeared far
more genial and conversable than here
tofore. Evidently he was one of those
characters that develop upon acquaint-
ance. The ladies soon fell in love with
him; his house was 50 nice; he was so
nice, and so inconceivably rich. The
men all liked him none the less. 1t is
| nnt 1fffiRnlt IN lIEa n mar Nuhn aDtar-
tains you so charmingly and courteous
ly, and who, as far as society is CON
cerned, is simply an i~uexhaustible mine
of ~enjoyments.
Within ten minutes of the appointed
hour every guest invited was either in
the house or awaiting their turn to en-
ter. The door by which they came in
was in close proximity to the dressing
rooms, where the most skillful of lady's
maids and Wallets left the guests nothing
to do but to stand still and be put in
order. A broad hall led through a pair
of semi-transparent curtains to the re-
ception rooms. When all were assem-
bled, twenty-five beautiful boys about
twelve years old and as many girls
dressed in eastern fashion appeared and
passed among the company, carrying
trays on which were little cups of pure
crystal, containing an aromatic bever-
age. 1t was too exquisite and ethereal
to be a cocktail, and besides the ladies
drank it, but its effect vas marvel
Gus. 1t worked a change of heart in
every one, and a change for the better.
Following up this success the boys pre-
sented bouquets to each of the ladies in
a holder of wrought gold filigree, with
her initials worked in it, while the young
girls gave a "~buttonhole" of similar
design in miniature to the gentlemen.
Hereupon a sound like a peal of silver
bells rang softly close at hand, and on
all sides, yet invisible, was heard; the
great doors leading to the dining hall
were withdrawn, N the fragrant splen-
dor of that freshly created apartment
dawned upon the company. As they
passed the threshold music was heard,
delicate and remote, as if the flowers
were singing together. Such a feast
should begin with nothing less delicate
than nightingales' tongues, and wind up
with apples of the Hesperides.
When the cloth had been withdrawn
after the last course it was revealed that
the great table was composed of upward
of sixty small square tables, like the
joints of a serpent--each accommodate
ing four persons. Now the fifty Nubians,
who, in the costume of their country lat
least as designed by color loving artists,
had been attending during the dinner,
wheeled these tables into a great semi
circle at the lower half of the hall, and
! then the guests, ~reseating themselves,
, were served with coffee. Few of them
noticed the entrance of a small man,
; with a dark Indian complexion and curly
! black beard, who took up a position in
. the center of the open space in the upper
| end of the room. He wore a white tur-
ban, a close fitting jacket, with sleeves
to h elbows. showing a lean, brown
forearm, loose white zouave trousers,
$ gathered at the knees, and n pair oil
L Turkish slippers, turned up at the toes,
A sash of fine silk of a peculiar red
$ color n many feet in length was
t bound round his waist. A gold bracelet
n in the shape of a serpent was worn OF
9 his left wrist. He looked like a Hindoo
It and it soon became evident that tn,
e counts friends were to be treated to NJ
: --l.ls..- --l.