Page:German Stories (Volumes 2–3).djvu/393

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Chapter III.
203

pened to his red champaigne, so that he could not produce a single glass of that liquor. At this time the party seemed well disposed to make up, as fast as possible, for that want of joviality and high spirits which they had betrayed through the preceding entertainments. Only in my neighbourhood—I mean where I sat at table—it fell out very differently. We had only one unanimous feeling—that of curiosity, which completely triumphed over every other. I was placed near the lady who wore jewels exactly resembling those of the bride, and observed that, besides never touching food or wine, she did not vouchsafe to return a single word when spoken to by the other guests, but, meanwhile, kept her looks constantly fixed on Felippo and his bride, who sat together.

“Her presence and strange conduct could not possibly remain unobserved, and the remarks that were, by degrees, spread about from one guest to another, once more damped the spirit of conviviality which, for a short time, had been revived. There arose a whispering all round the table, and the prevailing opinion was, that an unfortunate attachment to the bridegroom must be the cause