Lyddon agreed with all of this and perceived that Colonel Gratiot was an authority upon the fair sex.
Madame Isabey, as usual, did not appear when guests were present, as that would necessitate a toilet beyond a peignoir.
About five o’clock in the afternoon, Adrienne having taken her siesta and reappeared, Angela proposed that they should take a walk. Neither was ever quite at ease when alone with the other, but, both being gentlewomen, they maintained every outward form of extreme politeness.
“Let us walk in the garden,” said Adrienne. “I cannot, like you, take those long tramps through the woods. You must remember that I am town-bred.”
Angela felt a secret dislike to walking up and down the well-known garden path with Adrienne and sitting together upon the bench under the old brick wall. That spot she felt to be consecrated, in a way, to her inmost thoughts and feelings, and with Adrienne she never spoke of inward things. Nevertheless she made no objection, and the two walked up and down in the waning summer afternoon as the shadows grew long on the green lawn and the river changed from green and silver to red and purple in the glowing sunset.
“This time last year,” said Adrienne, with her charming French accent, “we were quite new to Harrowby. The life seemed so strange to me then. You see, we usually spent our summers in France, and a few times we went far, far up in French Canada. This day two years ago we were in Paris, and we went, mamma and I with Philip Isabey, to the great ball at the Tuileries. I never saw the Empress look so beautiful. She was in a cloud of tulle, and diamonds, like dewdrops, sparkled all over her. She never was outshone by her jewels; many women are. You, for example, should never wear many jewels.”
“I promise you I never shall,” replied Angela, laughing. “I have none, and Neville will not be able to give me any, for he will never have anything except his pay as an officer.”
“How do you know that?” asked Adrienne, watching Angela.
“Neville tells me so, and, besides, if my uncle and aunt will never speak their son’s name, or even ask me when I hear from him, do you think they would leave him any money?”
“They are very angry with him now. They will not always be so.”