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The hostess sat down at the table and took off her gloves. Chairs

were set with the aid of footmen, moving almost imperceptibly

about the room; the party settled itself, divided into two

groups: one round the samovar near the hostess, the other at the

opposite end of the drawing-room, round the handsome wife of an

ambassador, in black velvet, with sharply defined black eyebrows.

In both groups conversation wavered, as it always does, for the

first few minutes, broken up by meetings, greetings, offers of

tea, and as it were, feeling about for something to rest upon.

"She's exceptionally good as an actress; one can see she's

studied Kaulbach," said a diplomatic attache in the group round

the ambassador's wife. "Did you notice how she fell down?..."