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- Мари Корелли
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- Стр. 172/279
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But
now
there
are
no
lads
and
lasses
--
enervated
old
men
and
women
in
their
teens
walk
the
world
wearily
,
speculating
on
the
uses
of
life
--
probing
vice
,
and
sneering
down
sentiment
,
and
such
innocent
diversions
as
the
Maypole
no
longer
appeal
to
our
jaded
youth
.
So
we
have
to
get
'
professionals
'
to
execute
the
May-revels
--
of
course
the
dancing
is
better
done
by
properly
trained
legs
;
but
it
means
nothing
,
and
is
nothing
,
except
a
pretty
spectacle
.
"
"
And
are
the
dancers
here
?
"
I
asked
,
rising
and
going
towards
the
window
in
some
curiosity
.
"
No
,
not
yet
.
But
the
May-pole
is
;
--
fully
decorated
.
It
faces
the
woods
at
the
back
of
the
house
--
go
and
see
if
you
like
it
.
"
I
followed
his
suggestion
,
and
going
in
the
direction
indicated
,
I
soon
perceived
the
gaily-decked
object
which
used
to
be
the
welcome
signal
of
many
a
village
holiday
in
Shakespeare
's
old-world
England
.
The
pole
was
already
set
up
and
fixed
in
a
deep
socket
in
the
ground
,
and
a
dozen
or
more
men
were
at
work
,
unbinding
its
numerous
trails
of
blossom
and
garlands
of
green
,
tied
with
long
streamers
of
vari-coloured
ribbon
.
It
had
a
picturesque
effect
in
the
centre
of
the
wide
lawn
bordered
with
grand
old
trees
--
and
approaching
one
of
the
men
,
I
said
something
to
him
by
way
of
approval
and
admiration
.
He
glanced
at
me
furtively
and
unsmilingly
,
but
said
nothing
--
and
I
concluded
from
his
dark
and
foreign
cast
of
features
,
that
he
did
not
understand
the
English
language
.
I
noted
,
with
some
wonder
and
slight
vexation
that
all
the
workmen
were
of
this
same
alien
and
sinister
type
of
countenance
,
very
much
after
the
unattractive
models
of
Amiel
and
the
two
grooms
who
had
my
racer
'
Phosphor
'
in
charge
.
But
I
remembered
what
Lucio
had
told
me
--
namely
,
that
all
the
designs
for
the
fête
were
carried
out
by
foreign
experts
and
artists
--
and
after
some
puzzled
consideration
,
I
let
the
matter
pass
from
my
mind
.
The
morning
hours
flew
swiftly
by
,
and
I
had
little
time
to
examine
all
the
festal
preparations
with
which
the
gardens
abounded
--
so
that
I
was
almost
as
ignorant
of
what
was
in
store
for
the
amusement
of
my
guests
as
the
guests
themselves
.
I
had
the
curiosity
to
wait
about
and
watch
for
the
coming
of
the
musicians
and
dancers
,
but
I
might
as
well
have
spared
myself
this
waste
of
time
and
trouble
,
for
I
never
saw
them
arrive
at
all
.
At
one
o'clock
,
both
Lucio
and
I
were
ready
to
receive
our
company
--
and
at
about
twenty
minutes
past
the
hour
,
the
first
instalment
of
'
swagger
society
'
was
emptied
into
the
grounds
.
Sibyl
and
her
father
were
among
these
--
and
I
eagerly
advanced
to
meet
and
greet
my
bride-elect
as
she
alighted
from
the
carriage
that
had
brought
her
from
the
station
.
She
looked
supremely
beautiful
that
day
,
and
was
,
as
she
deserved
to
be
,
the
cynosure
of
all
eyes
.
I
kissed
her
little
gloved
hand
with
a
deeper
reverence
than
I
would
have
kissed
the
hand
of
a
queen
.
"
Welcome
back
to
your
old
home
,
my
Sibyl
!
"
I
said
to
her
in
a
low
voice
tenderly
,
at
which
words
she
paused
,
looking
up
at
the
red
gables
of
the
house
with
such
wistful
affection
as
filled
her
eyes
with
something
like
tears
.
She
left
her
hand
in
mine
,
and
allowed
me
to
lead
her
towards
the
silken-draped
,
flower-decked
porch
,
where
Lucio
waited
,
smiling
--
and
as
she
advanced
,
two
tiny
pages
in
pure
white
and
silver
glided
suddenly
out
of
some
unseen
hiding-place
,
and
emptied
two
baskets
of
pink
and
white
rose-leaves
at
her
feet
,
thus
strewing
a
fragrant
pathway
for
her
into
the
house
.
They
vanished
as
completely
and
swiftly
as
they
had
appeared
--
some
of
the
guests
uttered
murmurs
of
admiration
,
while
Sibyl
gazed
about
her
,
blushing
with
surprise
and
pleasure
.
"
How
charming
of
you
,
Geoffrey
!
"
she
said
,
"
What
a
poet
you
are
to
devise
so
pretty
a
greeting
!
"
"
I
wish
I
deserved
your
praise
!
"
I
answered
,
smiling
at
her
--
"
But
the
poet
in
question
is
Prince
Rimânez
--
he
is
the
master
and
ruler
of
to-day
's
revels
.
"
Again
the
rich
colour
flushed
her
cheeks
,
and
she
gave
Lucio
her
hand
.
He
bowed
over
it
in
courtly
fashion
--
but
did
not
kiss
it
as
he
had
kissed
the
hand
of
Mavis
Clare
.
We
passed
into
the
house
,
through
the
drawing-room
,
and
out
again
into
the
gardens
,
Lord
Elton
being
loud
in
his
praise
of
the
artistic
manner
in
which
his
former
dwelling
had
been
improved
and
embellished
.
Soon
the
lawn
was
sprinkled
with
gaily
attired
groups
of
people
--
and
my
duties
as
host
began
in
hard
earnest
.
