ten o'clock
There was company to dinner and to luncheon , and every imaginable tribute paid to the taste and vanity of the beautiful woman , who accepted the incense offered as flowers the dew of heaven , and stars the light that constitutes their glory . Accustomed from her cradle to adulation and indulgence , she had a pretty , yet imperious manner of exacting it from all who ventured within her circle ; and could not forgive the cool indifference which generally characterized Olga 's behaviour . Too well-bred to be guilty of rudeness , the latter contrived in a very adroit way to defy every proposition advanced by the fair guest , and while she never transcended the bounds of courtesy , she piqued and harassed and puzzled not only Mrs. Carew , but Mr. Palma . At ten o'clock on Thursday night , when the guests invited to dinner had departed , and the family circle had collected in the sitting-room to await the carriage which would convey the ladies to a Wedding Reception , Mrs. Carew came downstairs magnificently attired in a delicate green satin , covered with an over dress of exquisite white lace , and adorned with a profusion of emeralds and pearls . Her hair was arranged in a unique style -LRB- which Olga denominated `` Isis fashion '' -RRB- , and above her forehead rested a jewelled lotos , the petals of large pearls , the leaves of emeralds . As she stood before the grate , with the white lace shawl slipping from her shoulders , and exposing the bare gleaming bust , Olga exclaimed : `` O Queen of the Nile ! What Antony awaits your smiles ? ''