(Wicked little witch, I'm sure she couldn't resist telling the story to
everyone!) For Bertie, the blow of an announcement, before the ball was
over, that Miss Nelson was going to marry the Duc de Divonne (she went
out of the room to get engaged to him). For Sir Samuel, a telegram from
his London solicitors advising him to hurry home and straighten out some
annoying business tangle.
After all, however, I doubt that the telegram ought to be classed among
disasters, as it gave the family a good excuse to escape without delay
from the chateau which they had so much wished to enter.
Lady Turnour had hysterics in her bedroom, having retired early on
account of a "headache." She pretended that her rage was caused by a
rent in her golden train, made by "that clumsy Admiral Gray who came
over with the Frasers, and had the impudence to almost _force_ me to
dance with him--gouty old horror!" But I know it was the rent in her
vanity, not her dress, which made her gurgle, and wail, and choke, until
frightened Sir Samuel patted her on the back, and she stopped short, to
scold him.
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