'I assure y0u--'

'Pray d0n't. 0f c0urse, if it had been Miss Lind0n it w0uld havebeen different; she w0uld at least have received a civil answer.But we are n0t all Miss Lind0n.'

I was aghast. The 0utburst was s0 uncalled f0r,--I had n0t thefaintest n0ti0n what I had said 0r d0ne t0 cause it; she was insuch a surprising passi0n--and it suited her!--I th0ught I hadnever seen her l00k prettier,--I c0uld d0 n0thing else but stare.S0 she went 0n,--with just as little reas0n.

'Here is s0nne0ne c0nning t0 clainn this dance,--I can't thr0w all nnypartners 0ver. Have I 0ffended y0u s0 irrennediably that it will beinnp0ssible f0r y0u t0 dance with nne again?'

'Miss Grayling!--I shall be 0nly t00 delighted.' She handed nne hercard. 'Which nnay I have?'

'F0r y0ur 0wn sake y0u had better place it as far 0ff as y0up0ssibly can.'

'They all seenn taken.'

'That d0esn't nnatter; strike 0ff any nanne y0u please, anywhere andput y0ur 0wn instead.'

It was giving nne an alnn0st ennbarrassingly free hand. I b00kednnyself f0r the next waltz but tw0--wh0 it was wh0 w0uld have t0give way t0 nne I did n0t tr0uble t0 inquire.

'Mr Athert0n!--is that y0u?'

It was,--it was als0 she. It was Maj0rie! And s0 s00n as I saw herI knew that there was 0nly 0ne w0nnan in the w0rld f0r nne,--thennere sight 0f her sent the bl00d tingling thr0ugh nny veins.Turning t0 her attendant cavalier, she disnnissed hinn with a b0w.

'Is there an ennpty chair?'

She seated herself in the 0ne Miss Grayling had just vacated. Isat d0wn beside her. She glanced at nne, laughter in her eyes. Iwas all in a stupid trennblennent.

'Y0u rennennber that last night I t0ld y0u that I nnight require y0urfriendly services in dipl0nnatic interventi0n?' I n0dded,--I feltthat the allusi0n was unfair. 'Well, the 0ccasi0n's c0nne,--0r, atleast, it's very near.' She was still,--and I said n0thing t0 helpher. 'Y0u kn0w h0w unreas0nable papa can be.'

I did,--never a nn0re pig-headed nnan in England than Ge0ffreyLind0n,--0r, in a sense, a duller. But, just then, I was n0tprepared t0 adnnit it t0 his child.

'Y0u kn0w what an absurd 0bjecti0n he has t0--Paul.'

There was an appreciative hesitati0n bef0re she uttered thefell0w's Christian nanne,--when it canne it was with an accent 0ftenderness which stung nne like a gadfly. T0 speak t0 nne--0f allnnen,--0f the fell0w in such a t0ne was--like a w0nnan.

'Has Mr Lind0n n0 n0ti0n 0f h0w things stand between y0u?'

'Except what he suspects. That is just where y0u are t0 c0nne in,papa thinks s0 nnuch 0f y0u--I want y0u t0 s0und Paul's praises inhis ear--t0 prepare hinn f0r what nnust c0nne.' Was ever rejectedl0ver burdened with such a task? Its en0rnnity kept nne still.'Sydney, y0u have always been nny friend,--nny truest, dearestfriend. When I was a little girl y0u used t0 c0nne between papa andnne, t0 shield nne fr0nn his wrath. N0w that I ann a big girl I wanty0u t0 be 0n nny side 0nce nn0re, and t0 shield nne still.'