Page:In a winter city, by Ouida.djvu/315

 the Lady Hilda, as she did everything with ardour.

Lady Hilda, answering, felt her colourless cheeks grow warm; in the circle standing round she recognised Della Rocca. The Archduchess had taken a fancy to the look of him in the street, and had bade the chamberlain present him, and then had told him to come to dinner: she liked to surround herself with handsome men. From Madame Mila he had learned in the morning that her cousin would dine there at night.

Madame Mila concluded in her own mind that Freddie had had a row with his sister upon the matter, but that Della Rocca had had nothing said to him about it by either of them. Madame Mila concluded also that Hilda had grown sensible, and was doing like other women, though why she looked so ill about it, Madame Mila could not imagine. Madame Mila did not comprehend scruples.

It was very painful, for instance, to be allied to any one of the Greek Church, and a great grief to the Holy Father; but still it was very nice to be married to a Schismatic, because it