登陆注册
5258500000063

第63章 XX(3)

Two months had passed since then, and he was still the paid secretary. He had contrived to let the aide-de-camp feel that he was too deficient in humour to be worth exchanging glances with; but even this had not restored his self-respect, and on the evening in question, as he looked about the long table, he said to himself for the hundredth time that he would give up his position on the morrow.

Only--what was the alternative? The alternative, apparently, was Coral Hicks. He glanced down the line of diners, beginning with the tall lean countenance of the Princess Mother, with its small inquisitive eyes perched as high as attic windows under a frizzled thatch of hair and a pediment of uncleaned diamonds; passed on to the vacuous and overfed or fashionably haggard masks of the ladies next in rank; and finally caught, between branching orchids, a distant glimpse of Miss Hicks.

In contrast with the others, he thought, she looked surprisingly noble. Her large grave features made her appear like an old monument in a street of Palace Hotels; and he marvelled at the mysterious law which had brought this archaic face out of Apex City, and given to the oldest society of Europe a look of such mixed modernity.

Lansing perceived that the aide-de-camp, who was his neighbour, was also looking at Miss Hicks. His expression was serious, and even thoughtful; but as his eyes met Lansing's he readjusted his official smile.

"I was admiring our hostess's daughter. Her absence of jewels is--er--an inspiration," he remarked in the confidential tone which Lansing had come to dread.

"Oh, Miss Hicks is full of inspirations," he returned curtly, and the aide-de-camp bowed with an admiring air, as if inspirations were rarer than pearls, as in his milieu they undoubtedly were. "She is the equal of any situation, I am sure," he replied; and then abandoned the subject with one of his automatic transitions.

After dinner, in the embrasure of a drawing-room window, he surprised Nick by returning to the same topic, and this time without thinking it needful to readjust his smile. His face remained serious, though his manner was studiously informal.

"I was admiring, at dinner, Miss Hicks's invariable sense of appropriateness. It must permit her friends to foresee for her almost any future, however exalted."

Lansing hesitated, and controlled his annoyance. Decidedly he wanted to know what was in his companion's mind.

"What do you mean by exalted?" he asked, with a smile of faint amusement.

"Well--equal to her marvellous capacity for shining in the public eye."

Lansing still smiled. "The question is, I suppose, whether her desire to shine equals her capacity."

The aide-de-camp stared. "You mean, she's not ambitious?"

"On the contrary; I believe her to be immeasurably ambitious."

"Immeasurably?" The aide-de-camp seemed to try to measure it.

"But not, surely, beyond--" "beyond what we can offer," his eyes completed the sentence; and it was Lansing's turn to stare. The aide-de-camp faced the stare. "Yes," his eyes concluded in a flash, while his lips let fall: "The Princess Mother admires her immensely." But at that moment a wave of Mrs. Hicks's fan drew them hurriedly from their embrasure.

"Professor Darchivio had promised to explain to us the difference between the Sassanian and Byzantine motives in Carolingian art; but the Manager has sent up word that the two new Creole dancers from Paris have arrived, and her Serene Highness wants to pop down to the ball-room and take a peep at them .... She's sure the Professor will understand ...."

"And accompany us, of course," the Princess irresistibly added.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 九章算术

    九章算术

    《九章算术》是中国古代第一部数学专著,是算经十书中最重要的一种。该书内容十分丰富,系统总结了战国、秦、汉时期的数学成就。同时,《九章算术》在数学上还有其独到的成就,不仅最早提到分数问题,也首先记录了盈不足等问题。
  • 夏雷惊雪

    夏雷惊雪

    一个倔强的,痴情的,嘴硬的女子。其实最脆弱,最容易受伤。
  • 本事经

    本事经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 妻主

    妻主

    在女人出将入相执掌乾坤的世界,别人都能三夫四侍,她必须从一而终,否则就会消失。这不是最糟的,她还要完成一个不可能的任务:打造一个保家卫国世人景仰的男元帅,看她如何克服重重困难,化解美男诱惑,翻云覆雨成就传奇。
  • 战能英雄

    战能英雄

    天龙大陆是一个修仙的大陆。修仙者离了资源,他们修仙的道路就会放慢,天龙大陆的修仙者们,除了炼制强大威力的法宝以便在资源的争夺上大站上风之外,更是大力的炼制各种的傀儡,来增加自己的战斗力。
  • 末日游戏之暴力召唤师

    末日游戏之暴力召唤师

    2120年的某一天,天空突然裂开了无数漆黑裂缝,各种怪物从天而降,神秘的‘末日游戏’正式启动!李大虎击杀了第一只怪物之后,成功激活了属于他的游戏面板,并且在偶然的情况下,成为了一个召唤师!不过,这个‘召唤师’的打开方式,好像有些不对!……高手A:“这家伙的召唤兽实力太强了,而且数量太多,你们牵制一下,我突破进去,将那个脆弱的召唤师直接宰了!”队友:“等等……”五分钟之后……高手A鼻青脸肿的出现,幽怨的看着自己的同伴:“你们坑我!那家伙简直就是一个人形怪物!”队友:“谁让你跑那么快,怪我咯?!”……(暴兵+少许领地建设+极致肉身暴力流+爽文)(黑暗向,有女人,但不一定有女主,不喜者,勿点。)
  • 从漫威开始的万界生活

    从漫威开始的万界生活

    想看帝皇铠甲和路法的对决吗?想知道脉兽和巨龙谁更加强吗?想看到奥特曼光之巨人和进击巨人的对决吗?那就要看作者的更新速度啦!一更党,建议养肥再杀(,,?ω?,,)跟风建了一个读者群:qq:833481960
  • 重生明朝当皇帝

    重生明朝当皇帝

    天启七年,晚明势颓,附身朱由校,身染疾患,垂死挣扎。一朝痊愈后,诛东林,灭晋商,强皇权,问鼎天下,舍我其谁!兴工业,练强军,控文艺,看塞北铁流滚滚,望关内百花齐放。美人泪,杯中酒。齐鲁风云,儒林孔门从此休;江南烟雨,袅娜名妓梳红妆;荆楚鹿鸣,栉风沐雨祭江陵……收商税,开厘金,摊丁入亩,官绅纳粮,行改土归流,藩王锁京都。开贸易,重振海洋霸权,欧罗贵族崇汉化,美洲之地尽是峨冠博带,之乎者也。读者群:398359794
  • 中国画的写意精神(中国艺术研究院学术文库)

    中国画的写意精神(中国艺术研究院学术文库)

    源于中国传统哲学与文化精神的中国画的写意精神,成为中国美术创作的精神源泉。本书以中国画的写意精神为题,旨在从审美情感与内在精神的层面全面阐述中国画的“写意精神”。全书内容包括了中国画的审美精神、中国画的艺术特征、以及有关意境、写意、形神的辩证关系等论文,对中国绘画目前的写意大家及其写意精神进行论述,指出中国画的写意精神涵盖了意境、传神、趣味、境界、意趣、写意等精神内涵。可以说中国画的写意精神是在“观物取象”的基础上,经过创作者的审美情感与内在精神的艺术加工,立意为象,以“渐悟”和“顿悟”的哲学之思,实现物与象,情、景与境的“天人合一”。
  • 拐个少主做媳妇

    拐个少主做媳妇

    (甜宠,虐渣1V1爽文)众人皆知陆阎王是个宠媳妇的主,却不知道简大小姐见陆阎王的第一面就把陆阎王埋汰了个净简大小姐:要不是因为他的身份,我怎么可能给他留脸面?众人沉默许久:……您这还叫留脸面??简大小姐不是简家最废最纨绔的吗,怎么突然成了简家继承人?还少主?简柒笙:哈哈哈老子是天才,没想到吧陆阎王:我媳妇最棒!!!每一个想找简大小姐麻烦的人都被狠狠的扇了巴掌,第二天就会变得神经兮兮,导致众人根本不敢靠近这位简大小姐女主负责天天开心男主负责追女主宠女主爱女主[多马甲无逻辑爽文+无误会无青梅竹马+联手虐渣]