He was fully alive to the expediency of
striking while the iron is hot--more especially where women are
concerned. Moreover, his knowledge of the countess led him to fear that
she would soon tire of his society. This lady had a lamentable facility
for getting to the bottom of her friends' powers of entertainment within
a few days. It was De Chauxville's intention to make secure his
invitation to Thors, and then to absent himself from the countess.
At dinner he made himself vastly agreeable, recounting many anecdotes
fresh from Paris, which duly amused the Countess Lanovitch, and somewhat
shocked Catrina, who was not advanced or inclined to advance.
After dinner the guest asked Mlle. Catrina to play. He opened the grand
piano in the inner drawing-room with such gallantry and effusion that
the sanguine countess, post-prandially somnolescent in her luxurious
chair, began rehearsing different modes of mentioning her son-in-law,
the baron.
"Yes," she muttered to herself, "and Catrina is plain--terribly plain."
Thereupon she fell asleep.
De Chauxville had a good memory, and was, moreover, a good and capable
liar. So Catrina did not find out that he knew nothing whatever of
music. He watched the plain face as the music rose and fell, himself
impervious to its transcendent tones. With practised cunning he waited
until Catrina was almost intoxicated with music--an intoxication to
which all great musicians are liable.
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