"I shall wait till they are all gone then."
She hesitated a moment. "Ah, that will be delightful!" she exclaimed.
And he waited, though it took a long time yet.There were several people, at the end, who seemed tethered to the carpet. The Countess Gemini, who was never herself till midnight, as she said, displayed no consciousness that the entertainment was over; she had still a little circle of gentlemen in front of the fire,who every now and then broke into a united laugh.Osmond had disappeared—he never bade good-bye to people; and as the Countess was extending her range,according to her custom at this period of the evening,Isabel had sent Pansy to bed. Isabel sat a little apart;she too appeared to wish her sister-in-law would sound a lower note and let the last loiterers depart in peace.