But young men in those days were more gallant or less snobbish than
in these, and few pretty girls, however slenderly dowered, were
forgotten by their waltzing partners. The older men went only to the
great houses, and frankly for eggnog. Mrs. Abbott's was famous and so
was Mrs. McLane's. Ladies who lived out of town the year round, that
their husbands might "sleep in the country!" received with their more
fortunate friends.
It had been Madeleine's intention to have her own reception at the
hotel as usual, but when Mrs. McLane craved her assistance--Marguerite
was receiving with Mrs. Abbott, now her mother-in-law--she consented
willingly, as it would reduce her effort to entertain progressively
illuminated men to the minimum. She felt disinclined to effort of
any sort.
Mrs. McLane, after her daughter's marriage, had tired of the large
house on Rincon Hill and the exorbitant wages of its staff of
servants, and returned to her old home in South Park, furnishing her
parlors with a red satin damask, which also covered the walls. She
had made a trip to Paris meanwhile and brought back much light and
graceful French furniture. The long double room was an admirable
setting for her stately little figure in its trailing gown of
wine-colored velvet trimmed with mellowed point lace (it had been
privately dipped in coffee) and her white high-piled hair.
Pages:
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90