Book I I. On a January evening of the early seventies , was singing in Faust at .
Though there was already talk of the erection , in remote metropolitan distances " above the Forties , " of , the world of fashion was still content to reassemble every winter in the shabby red and gold boxes of .
cherished for being small and inconvenient , and thus keeping out ; and clung to for historic associations , and for excellent acoustics , always so problematic a quality in .
It was 's first appearance that winter , and what had already learned to describe as " " had gathered to hear , transported through the slippery , snowy streets in , in , or in . "
To come to in was almost as honourable a way of arriving as in ; and departure by had the immense advantage of enabling one ( with a playful allusion to democratic principles ) to scramble into , instead of waiting till the cold-and-gin congested nose of gleamed under .
It was one of 's most masterly intuitions to have discovered that want to get away from amusement even more quickly than want to get to it .
When opened the door at the curtain had just gone up on the garden scene .
There was no reason why should not have come earlier , for had dined at seven , alone with and , and had lingered afterward over a cigar in with glazed black-walnut bookcases and finial-topped chairs which was .
But , in the first place , was , and perfectly aware that in it was " not the thing " to arrive early at ; and what was or was not " the thing " played a part as important in as the inscrutable totem terrors that had ruled the destinies of thousands of years ago .
The second reason for delay was a personal one .
had dawdled over cigar because was at heart , and thinking over a pleasure to come often gave a subtler satisfaction than its realisation .
This was especially the case when the pleasure was a delicate one , as pleasures mostly were ; and on this occasion the moment looked forward to was so rare and exquisite in quality that -- well , if had timed arrival in accord with could not have entered at a more significant moment than just as was singing : " loves -- loves not -- LOVES !
-- " and sprinkling the falling daisy petals with notes as clear as dew .
sang , of course , " M'ama ! "
and not " loves , " since an unalterable and unquestioned law of the musical world required that the German text of French operas sung by should be translated into Italian for the clearer understanding of .
This seemed as natural to as all the other conventions on which life was moulded : such as the duty of using two silver-backed brushes with monogram in blue enamel to part hair , and of never appearing in society without a flower ( preferably a gardenia ) in buttonhole .
" M'ama ... non m ' ama ... " sang , and " M'ama ! "
, with a final burst of love triumphant , as pressed the dishevelled daisy to lips and lifted large eyes to the sophisticated countenance of , who was vainly trying , in a tight purple velvet doublet and plumed cap , to look as pure and true as .
, leaning against the wall at , turned eyes from the stage and scanned .
Directly facing was , whose monstrous obesity had long since made it impossible for to attend , but who was always represented on fashionable nights by .
On this occasion , was filled by , , and , ; and slightly withdrawn behind sat .
As 's " M'ama ! "
thrilled out above ( always stopped talking during the Daisy Song ) a warm pink mounted to 's cheek , mantled brow to the roots of fair braids , and suffused the young slope of breast to the line where it met a modest tulle tucker fastened with a single gardenia .
dropped eyes to the immense bouquet of lilies-of-the-valley on knee , and saw white-gloved finger-tips touch the flowers softly .
drew a breath of satisfied vanity and eyes returned to the stage .
No expense had been spared on the setting , which was acknowledged to be very beautiful even by .
The foreground , to the footlights , was covered with emerald green cloth .
In the middle distance symmetrical mounds of woolly green moss bounded by croquet hoops formed the base of shrubs shaped like orange-trees but studded with large pink and red roses .
Gigantic pansies , considerably larger than the roses , and closely resembling the floral pen-wipers made by for , sprang from the moss beneath the rose-trees ; and here and there a daisy grafted on a rose-branch flowered with a luxuriance prophetic of .
In , in white cashmere slashed with pale blue satin , a reticule dangling from a blue girdle , and large yellow braids carefully disposed on each side of muslin chemisette , listened with downcast eyes to 's impassioned wooing , and affected a guileless incomprehension of designs whenever , by word or glance , persuasively indicated the ground floor window of .
" The darling ! "
thought , glance flitting back to .
" does n't even guess what it 's all about . "
And contemplated absorbed young face with a thrill of possessorship in which pride in own masculine initiation was mingled with a tender reverence for abysmal purity .
" 'll read together ... by ... " thought , somewhat hazily confusing the scene of projected honey-moon with the masterpieces of literature which it would be manly privilege to reveal to .
It was only that afternoon that had let guess that " cared " ( 's consecrated phrase of maiden avowal ) , and already imagination , leaping ahead of the engagement ring , the betrothal kiss and the march from Lohengrin , pictured at side in some scene of old European witchery .
did not in the least wish to be .
meant ( thanks to enlightening companionship ) to develop a social tact and readiness of wit enabling to hold own with , " in which it was the recognised custom to attract masculine homage while playfully discouraging it .
If had probed to the bottom of vanity ( as sometimes nearly did ) would have found there the wish that should be as worldly-wise and as eager to please as ; without , of course , any hint of the frailty which had so nearly marred , and had disarranged own plans for a whole winter .
How this miracle of fire and ice was to be created , and to sustain itself in , had never taken the time to think out ; but was content to hold view without analysing it , since knew it was that of , exchanged friendly greetings with , and turned opera-glasses critically on .
In matters intellectual and artistic felt distinctly ; had probably read more , thought more , and even seen a good deal more of , than .
Singly betrayed inferiority ; but grouped together represented " , " and the habit of masculine solidarity made accept doctrine on all the issues called moral .
instinctively felt that in this respect it would be troublesome -- and also rather bad form -- to strike out for .
" Well -- upon soul ! "
exclaimed , turning opera-glass abruptly away from the stage .
was , on the whole , the foremost authority on " form " in .
had probably devoted more time than to the study of this intricate and fascinating question ; but study alone could not account for complete and easy competence .
One had only to look at , from the slant of bald forehead and the curve of beautiful fair moustache to the long patent-leather feet at the other end of , to feel that the knowledge of " form " must be congenital in .
As had once said of : " If can tell just when to wear a black tie with evening clothes and when not to , it 's . "
And on the question of pumps versus patent-leather " Oxfords " authority had never been disputed .
" God ! "
said ; and silently handed glass to .