Hyacinth felt that the answer to this could be only a silent inclination of his little person; and to make it he rose from his chair. As he stood there, conscious that he had stayed long enough and yet not knowing exactly how to withdraw, the Princess, with her fan closed, resting upright on her knee, and her hands clasped on the end of it, turned up her strange, lovely eyes at him, and said—
'Do you think anything will occur soon?'
'Will occur?'
'That there will be a crisis—that you'll make yourselves felt?'
In this beautiful woman's face there was to Hyacinth's bewildered perception something at once inspiring, tempting and mocking; and the effect of her expression was to make him say, rather clumsily, 'I'll try and ascertain;' as if she had asked him whether her carriage were at the door.
'I don't quite know what you are talking about; but please don't have it for another hour or two. I want to see what becomes of the Pearl!' Madame Grandoni interposed.
'Remember what I told you: I would give up everything—everything!' the Princess went on, looking up at the young man in the same way. Then she held out her hand, and this time he knew sufficiently what he was about to take it.
When he bade good-night to Madame Grandoni the old lady exclaimed to him, with a comical sigh, 'Well, she is respectable!' and out in the lobby, when he had closed the door of the box behind him, he found himself echoing these words and repeating mechanically, 'She is respectable!' They were on his lips as he stood, suddenly, face to face with Captain Sholto, who laid his hand on his shoulder
