"Old, that is."
"Oh, no; young, always young as when I knew you first. When I was at your feet with love, and your countryman was my rival—"
Mrs. Neligage began to look as if she found the tables being turned, and that she had no more wish to have the past brought up than had the Count. She turned away from her companion. Then she looked back over her shoulder to observe, still in French, as she left him:—
"I make it a point never to remember those days, my friend."
VI
THE MISCHIEF OF A WIDOW
There were now but ten guests left, the persons who have been named, and who seemed for the most part to be lingering to observe the Count or Alice Endicott. May Calthorpe had all the afternoon kept near Alice, and only left her place when the sopping up of the Count's tea made it necessary for her to move. Mrs. Harbinger took her by the arm, and looked into her face scrutinizingly.
"Well," she asked, "did your unknown author come?"
"Nobody has come with a carnation. Oh, I am so disappointed!"