"Perhaps better," rejoined Lady Tilney.
"Précisement," said the Comtesse Leinsengen, "but, il faut que je pars, je vais voir le trousseau, for oderwise I shall have nothing to say to Lady Baskerville, who goes vid me to-night to de Opera. Adieu les belles, adieu."
"I wonder how she can be at the trouble of going to see that foolish trousseau," exclaimed Lady Tilney, as soon as she was out of hearing. "She is so inconséquente. Did Lady Ellersby name the Baskervilles as being among the invited?" continued Lady Tilney.
"Oh yes, the Comtesse, depend upon it, has taken care they shall be asked; and my Lord is always flattered in being reckoned a requisite appendage to a woman of high rank; but he will soon find his error in depending on her smiles, for except for the gratification of the moment's vanity, she seeks no further aim, and at all times scruples not to sacrifice her çi-devant friends to her new ones."
"Poor Lord Baskerville," replied Lady Tilney, "was intended to be by nature le bon enfant, which she calls him; but he has fallen into the terrible mistake of thinking himself a leader of ton, which gives him a ridicule that he would not otherwise have."
"How well you read characters, my dear Lady Tilney! But I thought he was a protégé of yours."
"Oh, so he is; I like him of all things; and he is often vastly useful. One must have different characters at command to fill different parts, or else nothing that one wants would go on. But to return to the Melcombs, I do not recover from my surprise about that marriage."
"It only shews what perseverance will do, I wished to talk the matter over with you, and to ascertain whether or not you meant to attend; so now I need not trouble you longer. Your gown you say is to be rose-colour, mine shall be jonquille."
"Ah, you always look divine in that golden light: but what light do you not look divine in?"