generous," remarked Scott.
She turned to him again, flushed and radiant. "I can afford to—though it's for the first time in my life. I've never had such a happy time—never, never, never! Isn't your brother wonderful? His dancing is—" Words failed her. She raised her hands and let them fall with a gesture expressive of unbounded admiration.
"You mustn't let him monopolize you," said Scott. "He has plenty to choose from, you know. Others haven't."
She laughed. "He says—I wonder if it's true!—he says I am the best dancer he has ever met!"
Scott smiled at her beaming face. "That is very nice—for him," he observed. "I thought you seemed to be getting on very well."
Her eyes travelled across the room again to her late partner and the beautiful Miss de Vigne. She watched them intently for a few seconds.
"Poor Rose!" she said suddenly.
Scott was watching her. "Isn't she a good dancer?" he asked.
She turned back to him. "Oh yes, I believe she is. She always has plenty of partners anyway. At least I've always heard so. Is your sister dancing? I don't think I can have seen her yet."
"No. She is in her sitting-room upstairs. I wanted her to come down, but she wouldn't be persuaded. She—" Scott hesitated a moment—"is not fond of gaiety."
"Then I shan't see her!" said Dinah in tones of genuine disappointment.
"I did so want to thank her for lending me these lovely things."
"I can take you to her if you'll come," said Scott.
"Oh, can you? Yes, I'll come. I can come now. But are you sure she will like it?" Dinah's bright eyes met his with frank directness. "I don't want to intrude on her, you know," she said.
He smiled a little. "I am sure you won't intrude. Shall we go then? Are you sure there is no one else you want to dance with here?"
"Oh, quite sure." Again momentarily Dinah's look sought her late partner; then briskly she stood up.
Scott rose also, and gave her his arm. She bestowed a small, friendly squeeze upon it. "I've never enjoyed myself so much before," she said. "And it's all your doing."
"Oh, not really!" he said.
She nodded vigorously. "But it is! I should never have been presentable but for you. And I should certainly never have danced with your brother. He has actually promised to help me with my skating to-morrow. Isn't it kind of him?"
"I wonder," said Scott.
"What do you wonder?" Dinah looked at him curiously.
But he only smiled a baffling smile, and turned the subject. "Wouldn't you like something to drink before we go up?"
Dinah declined. She was not in the least thirsty. She did not feel as if she would ever want to eat or drink again.
"Only to dance!" said Scott. "Well, I mustn't keep you long then. Who is that lady making signs to you? Hadn't you better go and speak to her?"
"Oh, bother!" said Dinah. "You come too, then. It's only Lady
Grace—Rose's mother. I'm sure it can't be anything important."
Scott piloted her across the vestibule to the couch on which Lady Grace sat. She was a large, fair woman with limpid eyes and drawling speech. She extended a plump white hand to the girl.
"Dinah, my dear, I think you have had almost enough for to-night. And they were so very behind time in starting. Your mother would not like you to stay up late, I feel sure. You had better go to bed when this dance is over. You are not accustomed to dissipation, remember."
A swift cloud came over Dinah's bright face. "Oh, but, Lady Grace, I'm not in the least tired. And I'm not a baby, you know. I'm nearly twenty. I really couldn't go yet."
"You will have plenty more opportunities, dear," said Lady Grace, quite unruffled. "Rose has decided to retire after this dance, and I shall do the same. The Colonel is suffering with dyspepsia, and he does not wish us to be late."
Dinah bit her lip. "Oh, very well," she said somewhat shortly; and to
Scott, "We had better go at once then."
He led her away obediently. They ascended the stairs together.
As they reached the top of the flight Dinah's indignation burst its
bounds. "Isn't it too bad? Why should I go to bed just because the
Colonel's got dyspepsia? I don't believe it's that at all really. It's
Rose who can't bear to think that I am having as good a time—or
Better—than she is."
"May I say what I think?" asked Scott politely.
She stopped, facing him. "Yes, do!"
He was smiling somewhat whimsically. "I think that—like Cinderella—you may break the spell if you stay too long."
"But isn't it too bad?" protested Dinah. "Your brother too—I can't disappoint him."
Scott's smile became a laugh. "Oh, believe me, it would do him good, Miss
Bathurst. He gets his own way much too often."
She smiled, but not very willingly. "It does seem such a shame. He has been—so awfully nice to me."
"That's nothing," said Scott airily. "We can all be nice when we are enjoying ourselves."
Dinah looked at him with sudden attention. "Are you pointing a moral?" she asked severely.
"Trying to," said Scott.
She tried to frown upon him, but very abruptly and completely failed. Her pointed chin went up in a gay laugh. "You do it very nicely," she said. "Thank you, Mr. Studley. I won't be grumpy any more. It would be a pity to break the spell, as you say. Will you explain to the prince?"
"Certainly," he said, leading her on again. "I shall make it quite clear to him that Cinderella was not to blame. Here is our sitting-room at the end of this passage!"
He stopped at the door and would have opened it, but Dinah, smitten with sudden shyness, drew back.
"Hadn't you better go in first and—and explain?" she said.
"Oh no, quite unnecessary," he said, and turned the handle.
At once a woman's voice accosted him. "For the Lord's sake, Master Stumpy, come in quick and shut the door behind ye! The racket downstairs is sending Miss Isabel nearly crazy, poor lamb. And it's meself that's wondering what we'll do to-night, for there's no peace at all in this wooden shanty of a place."
"Be quiet, Biddy!" Scott's voice made calm, undaunted answer. "You can go if you like. I've come to sit with Miss Isabel for a while. And I've brought her a visitor.
