We discussed international marriages while we were at our toilets,
Salemina and I prinking by the light of one small candle-end, while
Francesca, as the youngest and prettiest, illuminated her charms
with the six sitting-room candles and three filched from the little
table in the hall.

I gave it as my humble opinion that for an American woman an English
husband was at least an experiment; Salemina declared that for that
matter a husband of any nationality was an experiment. Francesca
ended the conversation flippantly by saying that in her judgment no
husband at all was a much more hazardous experiment.



Chapter XI. The ball on the opposite side.



We are all three rather tired this morning,--Salemina, Francesca,
and I,--for we went to one of the smartest balls of the London
season last night, and were robbed of half our customary allowance
of sleep in consequence.

It may be difficult for you to understand our weariness, when I
confess that the ball was not quite of the usual sort; that we did
not dance at all; and, what is worse, that we were not asked, either
to tread a measure, or sit out a polka, or take 'one last turn.'

To begin at the beginning, there is a large vacant house directly