Page:In a winter city, by Ouida.djvu/57

50 of a first marriage, bought poison for them both, and then suddenly changing her mind, with magnificent magnanimity drank it herself, and blessed the lovers as she died in great agonies.

It had been brought out in Paris with enormous success, and as Lady Hilda and the Countess had both seen it half-a-dozen times they could take no interest in it.

"You would come!" said the former, raising her eyebrows and seating herself so as to see nothing whatever of the stage and as little as possible of the house.

"Of course," replied Madame Mila, whose lorgnon was ranging hither and thither, like a general's spy-glass before a battle. "There was nothing else to do—at least you said there was nothing. Look! some of those women have actually got the œuf de Pâques corsage—good heaven!—those went out last year, utterly, utterly! Ah, there is Lucia San Luca—what big emeralds—and there is Maria Castelfidardo, how old she is looking. That is Lady Featherleigh—you remember that horrid scandal?—Yes, I hear they do visit her here. How handsome Luisa