To-day I paid her a little more attention; she served me in fact as a screen to avert any suspicion from Aniela.  Presently we drove on again, but very slowly, as in front and in rear as far as the eye could reach, all sorts of vehicles were moving in the same direction.  Before us and behind, there was a perfect stream of sunshades; the various colors of which shone in the sun and created a warmly tinted shadow from beneath which peeped forth, women’s heads with delicate and refined features.  There was the average number of pretty faces, but they expressed a want of temperament.  I did not even see it in the financial world, which, besides many other things, puts on temperament rather than possesses it in reality.  Among the carriages not a few displayed considerable taste, and the bright toilets changing and gleaming in the sun on a background of green trees, the crowds of fine people and fine horses gave the whole show a highly civilized appearance, not lacking either in picturesqueness.  I was glad to see Aniela pleased with the motion and turmoil.  Replying to my casual remarks she looked at me with gratitude as if it were I that had arranged it all for her pleasure.  Sitting opposite, I could look at her without constraint, but I turned oftener towards Panna Zawilowska, from whom blew a cold air, as from a decanter of iced water, which began to amuse me; her words and manner seemed to imply that she agreed to my society, because politeness did not permit her to do otherwise.  I treated her with a certain good-humored courtesy that seemed to irritate her not a little.

We arrived at last on the Mokotoffskie Pola.  There was a reserved place near the grand stand for my aunt’s carriage, and presently various acquaintances with tickets stuck on their hats came up and congratulated her upon the promising appearance of Naughty Boy.  One of the greatest horsebreeders said to her that the horse was a splendid animal, though not sufficiently trained; but as the turf was soft from yesterday’s rain, a strong animal like Naughty Boy stood a fair chance of coming in a winner.

It seemed to me that he spoke a little ironically, which made me feel uneasy.  Naughty Boy’s defeat would spoil the day for my aunt, and indirectly for me, too, as her bad humor would damp our pleasure.  In the mean while I looked around me at the field, and searched for known faces.  The race course was thronged with people.  The grand stand looked like a dark, compact mass, relieved by bright female toilets.  The course was surrounded by rows after rows of spectators; even the town walls were alive with them.  On either side of the grand stand stood a long line of carriages; each separately looked like a flower-basket.  Not very far from where I stood I became suddenly aware of a pink face and aggressive little nose that could not belong to anybody but Pani Sniatynska.  I went up to her and she told me her husband had just left her to look for Miss Hilst; and then, almost in one breath, asked