"Yes," he said, in an undertone. "It's all right! I heard this morning.
My man will be down, with the final decision, by a special train which
ought to land him about midnight. We'll meet in the library, say at
half past twelve, and get the thing finished, eh, baron?"
Wirsch grunted approval.
"Vare goot, Sare Stephen; dee sooner a ting ees congluded, de bedder.
'Arf bast dwelve!"
There was but a short stay made in the drawing-room, and before ten
o'clock the guests streamed into the magnificent ball-room.
There were a number of the neighbouring gentry who were making their
acquaintance with the Villa for the first time, and they regarded the
splendour around them with an amazement which was not without reason;
for to-night the artistically designed and shaded electric lamps, the
beautiful rooms with their chaste yet effective decorations, on which
money had been lavished like water, were seen to their greatest
advantage; and the Vaynes, the Bannerdales, and the local gentry
generally exchanged glances and murmured exclamations of surprise and
admiration, and wondered whether there could be any end to the wealth
of a man who could raise such a palace in so short a time.
Pages:
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332