These glasses were the especial admiration of
Douglas Dale, and Paulina filled the ruby goblet with curacoa. She
touched the edge of the glass playfully with her lips as she handed it
to her lover; but Victor observed that she did not taste the liqueur.
"You do not affect curacoa, madame?" he asked, carelessly.
"No; I never take that, or indeed, any other liqueur."
"And yet you drink scarcely any wine?"
"No," replied Paulina, indifferently; "I take very little wine."
"Indeed!"
There was the faintest possible significance in Carrington's tone as he
said this. He had watched Madame Durski closely during dinner, and he
had noted an excitement in her manner, a nervous vivacity, such as are
generally inspired by something stronger than water. And yet this woman
had taken little else than water during the dinner. And it was to be
observed that the almost febrile gaiety which distinguished her manner
this evening had been as apparent when she first entered the drawing-
room as it was now. This was a physiological or psychological enigma,
extremely interesting to Mr. Carrington. He was not slow to find a
solution that was, in his opinion, sufficiently satisfactory. "That
woman takes opium in some form or other," he said to himself.
Miss Brewer did not touch the liqueur in question, and her cousin took
Maraschino. After a very short interval, Douglas Dale and his new
friend rose to join the ladies.
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