As for Mary, she was out of the exotic atmosphere of gossip and scandal
and system-mongering. It would have surprised her extremely if she had
been told that whole luncheon parties at villas, and tea-parties at
second-rate hotels, thrived and battened on talk concerning her affairs,
past, present, and to come. She was so happy that she felt often as if
she loved everybody in the world, and longed to make everybody else as
happy, or almost as happy, as she.
For two days after meeting the Princess Della Robbia she was thoughtful,
and a little absent-minded even with Vanno; but when his brother and
sister-in-law came together to call upon her, Marie appeared so
light-hearted, so entirely at ease, that Mary began to regain her
spirits again. It was foolish to feel sad and anxious, almost
conscience-stricken, about Marie, if Marie had none of these feelings
about herself.
Then Mrs. Winter gave a large "At Home" in Miss Grant's honour, which
was a great success. Marie did not come, because she was unfortunately
suffering with headache; but Prince Della Robbia appeared, and stood
most of the time near Mary and Vanno.
It was wonderful how many people knew and liked the Winters. All the
most interesting "personages" on the Riviera passed through Rose's
pretty rooms that afternoon, if but to say "How do you do?" and
"Goodbye," and make the acquaintance of Prince Vanno, with the
Princess-to-be. Everybody came, from a dowdy and perfectly charming
German royalty down to poor old General Caradine, who had played
roulette for twenty-five years, with the same live Mexican toad for a
fetish; whose two great boasts were that he had learned the language of
birds, and that he had fought a duel with a man for defaming Queen Mary
of Scots.
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