three
o’clock
They found themselves in a dining-room , in the presence of Lady Rotherwood , her son and daughter , and a sprinkling of Merrifields and actors , in full swing of joyous chatter ; Mysie and Lady Phyllis telling all that was specially to be admired , and Lord Rotherwood teasing them about the prices , and their wicked extortions in the name of goodness , Gillian snubbing poor Captain Armytage in his splendid buccaneer dress , Ivinghoe making himself agreeable to Franceska , whose heightened carnation tints made her doubly lovely through her shyness . Gerald and Dolores in the less lively vicinity of the Marchioness carrying on a low-toned conversation , which , however , enabled Gerald to sustain nature with food better than he had done at breakfast . It did not last long . The sellers had to rush off to relieve those who had begun the sale , and the performance was to commence at three o'clock , so that the final preparations had to be hurried through . Geraldine had made the tour of the stalls on the arm of Anna , to admire them in their first freshness , and put finishing touches wherever solicited . The Rocca Marina conservatories were in rare glory , orchids in weird beauty , lovely lilies of all hues , fabulously exquisite ipomoeas , all that heart could wish . Before them a fountain played in the midst of blue , pink , and white lotus lilies , and in a flower-decked house the Seasons dispensed pot-flowers , bouquets , and button-holes ; the Miss Simmondses and their friends with simpering graces , that made Geraldine glad to escape and leave them to the young men who were strolling up .