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Natasha only desisted when she had been told that there would be

pineapple ice. Before the ices, champagne was served round. The

band again struck up, the count and countess kissed, and the

guests, leaving their seats, went up to "congratulate" the

countess, and reached across the table to clink glasses with the

count, with the children, and with one another. Again the footmen

rushed about, chairs scraped, and in the same order in which they

had entered but with redder faces, the guests returned to the

drawing room and to the count's study.

CHAPTER XX

The card tables were drawn out, sets made up for boston, and the

count's visitors settled themselves, some in the two drawing

rooms, some in the sitting room, some in the library.