According to plans made earlier in the day, a small shooting party left the Hall immediately after luncheon and did not return until late in the afternoon.

Julian, therefore, saw nothing more of Catherine until she came into the drawing-room, a few minutes before the announcement of dinner, wearing a wonderful toilette of pale blue silk, with magnificent pearls around her neck and threaded in her Russian headdress.

As is the way with all women of genius, Catherine's complete change of toilette indicated a parallel change in her demeanour.

Her interesting but somewhat subdued manner of the previous evening seemed to have vanished.
At the dinner table she dominated the conversation.

She displayed an intimate acquaintance with every capital of Europe and with countless personages of importance.