Before he took his leave, it was finally arranged between them, that he should accompany her to the fête the next day, if he could leave Downing-street in time; and if he could not, he would, he said, meet her at Avington Park, and go there with Lord Glenmore, who, in the event of his being detained, would be detained also.
While thus variously agitated had been the feelings of some, whose hearts, by circumstances, had become interested in this idle fête, the principal movers in it, in their way, were not less anxious for its success and brilliancy. For the preservation of its exclusive and chosen character, and the arrangement of all its endless detail of luxury, each member of the société choisie was more or less busy and affairé. Lady Tilney, with her usual activity, was the first in her exertions; driving to the houses of all connected with the arrangements, examining into every minute particular, and, above all, guarding against the possibility of any persons whose name was not on her list creeping in through the weakness of some member of the committee, who, in a moment of unallowed natural feeling, might have invited a sister, or a mother, or a brother, who were from a class without the pale.
At Lady Ellersby's she met Lady Tenderden, and the Countess Leinsengen, and Lady De Chere, and Lord Boileau, who came in, as though by chance, one after the other, each saying, in different words, the same thing.
"How fortunate I am to have met you! I wished to know at what hour you are to go to Avington Park to-morrow;" and all applied to Lady Tilney. She named three o'clock.
"La!" cried Lady Ellersby, "I shall not have awoke from my first sleep at that hour: surely four o'clock is quite time enough."
"I shall not go till den," cried the Comtesse Leinsengen. "One has always enough of dose tings dat last for ever. Breakfast, dinner, supper, and den breakfast again, before one gets away."
"Oh! but you know," replied Lady Tenderden, "dis fête, my dear comtesse, is not like any other; dere will be no one dere but ourselves, our own société; and dere are so many pleasant tings to be done,—going on de water, walking about, and de loterie; one would not choose to lose dat."
"Oh! certainly not," exclaimed Lady Boileau. "I am told there are to be some exceedingly magnificent things. Lord Albert D'Esterre has bought some really fine jewels."
"Perhaps so," said Lady De Chere in her blunt way; "but we all know who will have these: the chances are wisely ordained beforehand."