It was unnatural; it was suspicious; she was
not quite sure that it wasn't vaguely immoral.
At last there had been dinner - to which she came a full half-hour
late, but of so ravishing and angelic an appearance that the sight
of her was sufficient to mollify Sir Terence's impatience and stifle
the withering sarcasms he had been laboriously preparing. After
dinner - which was taken at six o'clock - there was still an hour
to spare before the carriage would come to take them into Lisbon.
Sir Terence pleaded stress of work, occasioned by the arrival of the
Telemachus that morning, and withdrew with Tremayne to the official
quarters, to spend that hour in disposing of some of the many matters
awaiting his attention. Sylvia, who to Lady O'Moy's exasperation
seemed now for the first time to give a thought to what she should
wear that night, went off in haste to gown herself, and so Lady O'Moy
was left to her own resources - which I assure you were few indeed.
The evening being calm and warm, she sauntered out into the open.
She was more or less annoyed with everybody - with Sir Terence and
Tremayne for their assiduity to duty, and with Sylvia for postponing
all thought of dressing until this eleventh hour, when she might
have been better employed in beguiling her ladyship's loneliness.
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