The more wrathful and excited Mademoiselle de Marny became the more insolent and triumphant waxed the young actress' whole attitude.

An ironical smile played round the corners of her mouth, her almond-shaped eyes were half-closed, regarding through dropping lashed the trembling figure of the young impoverished aristocrat.

Her head was thrown well back, in obvious defiance of the social conventions, which should have forbidden a fracas in Lady Blakeney's hospitable house, and her fingers provocatively toyed with the diamond necklace which glittered and sparkled round her throat.
She had no need to repeat the words of a well-learnt part: her own wit, her own emotions and feelings helped her to act just as her employer would have wished her to do.

Her native vulgarity helped her to assume the very bearing which he would have desired.

In fact, at this moment Desiree Candeille had forgotten everything save the immediate present: a more than contemptuous snub from one of those penniless aristocrats, who had rendered her own sojourn in London so unpleasant and unsuccessful.
She had suffered from these snubs before, but had never had the chance of forcing an esclandre, as a result of her own humiliation.