The Custom of the Country Chapter 19

In which Charles Bowen muses on the artifice of a Parisian high-society dinner scene, finding in its imitation of old-world aristocracy both a delightful spectacle and a testament to human constancy. Amidst this backdrop, he observes the graceful and subtly poised Undine Marvell, whose presence stirs a curious interplay of social manoeuvres and whispered intimations.