“To be sure. Pray keep your temper, Bell, if you can, for a minute,” whispered Miss Georgiana; “you see they have rung for the carriage.”
Mrs. Falconer began to entreat Mrs. Percy would not be in a hurry to run away; but to her great joy the carriage came to the door.
At parting with Count Altenberg, Mr. Percy said that he regretted that they were so soon to lose his company in this part of the world. “We, who live so much retired, shall feel the loss particularly.”
The Count, evidently agitated, only said, in a low voice, “We are not parting yet—we shall meet again—I hope—do you ever go to London?”
“Never.”
“At all events, we must meet again,” said the Count.
The ladies had all collected at the open windows, to see the departure of the Percys; but Miss Georgiana Falconer could learn nothing from the manner in which the Count handed Caroline into the carriage. It did not appear even that he spoke to her.
On his return, the Miss Falconers, and the Lady Arlingtons, were of course talking of those who had just left the house. There was at first but one voice in praise of Caroline’s beauty and talents, elegance, and simplicity of manner. Mrs. Falconer set the example; Lady Frances Arlington and Miss Georgiana Falconer extolled her in the highest terms—one to provoke, the other not to appear provoked.
“La!” said Lady Frances, “how we may mistake even the people we know best—Georgiana, can you conceive it? I never should have guessed, if you had not told me, that Miss Caroline Percy was such a favourite of yours. Do you know now, so little penetration have I, I should have thought that you rather disliked her?”
“You are quite right, my dear Lady Frances,” cried Mrs. Falconer; “I give you credit for your penetration: entre nous, Miss Caroline Percy is no favourite of Georgiana.”