Celia followed Lady Ingram into a lighted hall, where servants in blue and gold liveries stood round, holding tapers in silver candlesticks. They seemed to recognize Lady Ingram, though Celia noticed that William's livery was different from theirs, and therefore imagined that the house she was entering must be that of a stranger. Lady Ingram walked forward in her usual stately manner until she reached the head of the staircase, closely followed by Celia and Thérèse. On the second step from the top stood a gentleman in full dress, blue and gold. A conversation ensued between him and Lady Ingram, accompanied by a great deal of bowing and courtesying, flourishing of hands and shaking of heads, which, being in French, was of course lost upon Celia; but could she have understood it, this was what she would have heard. "You do me such honor, Monsieur?" "It is due to you, Madame." "The second stair, Monsieur! I am entitled only to the head of the staircase." "Madame will permit me to express my sense of her distinction." "You overwhelm me, Monsieur!" "Pray let Madame proceed." "Not until Monsieur has done so." "Precedence to the ladies!" "By no means before His Majesty's Consul!" Here, then, appeared likely to be an obstacle to farther progress: but after a good deal more palaver, the grave point of precedence, which each was courteously striving to yield to the other, was settled by Lady Ingram and the Consul each setting a foot upon the top stair at the same moment. They then passed forward, hand in hand, Celia as before following her step-mother. The three entered a large, handsome drawing-room, where a further series of bowing and courtesying ensued before Lady Ingram would sit down. Celia supposed that she might follow her example, and being very tired, she seated herself at the same time as her step-mother; for which act she was rewarded with a glance of disapprobation from Lady Ingram's dark eyes. She sprang up again, feeling puzzled and fluttered, whereupon the Consul advanced to her, and addressed her in French with a series of low bows. Celia could only courtesy to him, and look helplessly at her step-mother. Lady Ingram uttered a few languid words in French, and then said in English to Celia, "Pray sit down. You have to be told everything." So she sat, silent and wearied, until after a time the door flew open, and half a dozen servants entered bearing trays, which they presented first to Lady Ingram and then to Celia. The first tray contained cups of coffee, the second preserved fruits, the third custards, the fourth various kinds of sweetmeats. Celia mentally wondered whether the French supped on sugar-plums; but the fifth tray containing cakes, she succeeded in finding something edible. Lady Ingram, she noticed, after a cup of coffee and one or two cakes, devoted her attention to the sugar-plums.