llar of lace. In her hands she twirled
a fan for mere pastime, for it was not hot; the gilded fan as it waved
spread around it a dense shower of sparks. Her head was like a milliner's
model; the hair was frizzled and curled and intertwined with pink ribbons;
amid them a diamond, half hidden from sight, shone like a star in the tail
of a comet. In a word it was a holiday toilet; several whispered that it
was too elaborate for the country and for every day. Though her skirt was
short, the eye could not see her feet, for she ran very swiftly, or rather
she glided, like the puppets that on the Festival of the Three Kings boys
hidden in booths slide to and fro. She ran in and, greeting all with a
slight bow, was about to seat herself in the place reserved for her. That
was difficult, for there were no chairs for the guests, who were sitting
in four rows on four benches; either a whole row must move or she must
climb over the bench. Skilfully she managed to squeeze in between two
benches, and then between the table and the line of those seated at it she
rolled on like a billiard ball. In her course she brushed past our young
man, and, catching a flounce on some one's knee, slipped a little, and in
her distraction supported herself on the shoulder of Thaddeus. Politely
begging his pardon, she took her seat between him and his uncle, but she
ate nothing; she only fanned herself, or twirled the handle of her fan, or
adjusted her lace collar, or with a light touch of her hand smoothed her
ringlets and the knots of bright ribbon among them.

This interruption of the conversation had lasted some four minutes.
Meanwhile there had begun at the end of the table first gentle murmurs and
then conversation in a subdued voice; the men were discussing their day's
hunting. Between the Assessor23 and the Notary24 there had arisen a
stubborn and more and more noisy dispute over a bobtailed hound, in the
ownership of which the Notary took pride, maintaining that this dog had
caught the hare; while the Assessor was demonstrating, despite the
arguments of the Notary, that that honour belonged to his own hound
Falcon. They asked the opinion of the others; so all in turn took sides
either for Bobtail or for Falcon, some as experts, others as eyewitnesses.
At the opposite end of the table the Judge was saying in a low voice to
his new neighbour: "I beg your pardon, we had to sit down, it was
impossible to put off supper till later; the guests were hu