It was the music of violins coming from the band in the ballroom that finally quietened them.
Princess Catherine then rose in the English fashion to take the ladies away from their gentlemen so that they could tidy themselves before they began to dance.
The gentlemen were silent as they stood up to let the ladies pass by them.
Only when the last lady went through the door did the men sit down to discuss what the last speaker had said to them.
Outside, as they walked upstairs, the Princess who was a near neighbour said to Lavinia,
“It was just so like Prince Igor to interject with his troubles at your party. If he had good sense as he should have had, he would have kept what he had to say until we had left the room and he would have had the full attention of the gentlemen as he has no
