Presently, descrying Annesley seated at a table with Lady
Dascot, she raised the jewel languidly and peered through it at
the two.
"Why!" exclaimed Rene Deacon, who stood close beside her, "that
was a trick of Nero's!"
Madame laughed musically.
"One might take a worse model," she said softly; "at least he
enjoyed life."
Colonel Deacon, who listened to her every word as to the
utterance of a Cumaean oracle, laughed with extraordinary
approbation.
There was scarce a woman present who regarded Madame with a
friendly eye, nor a man who did not aspire to become her devoted
slave. She brought an atmosphere of unreality with her,
dominating old and young alike by virtue of her splendid pagan
beauty. The lawn, with its very modern appointments, became as
some garden of the Golden House, a pleasure ground of an emperor.
But later, when the company entered the house, and Colonel Deacon
sought to monopolize the society of Madame, an unhealthy spirit
of jealousy arose between Rene and his guardian. It was strange,
grotesque, horrible almost. Annesley watched from afar, and there
was something very like anger in his glance.
"And this," said the Colonel presently, taking up an exquisitely
carved ivory Buddha, "has a strange history.
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