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210 "No," she said, "I would rather go with you alone. Mamma will think I am with Lord Astar; she will not mind." Elsie gave a wild little laugh, which broke into a sob. "Stay," she said, and taking her programme she wrote upon it, "I have gone home with Mr. Hallett. Please don't mind about me, but stay with Ina. I am tired.—Elsie." She folded the programme and wrote her mother's name upon it, all with the same feverish haste, and put it into his hands, while he helped her into the cab. "Give it to someone to give to her," she said, "and then come back to me and take me away. I can't bear it any longer. Oh, Frank, make haste and take me away!"

He went back for a moment to the entrance to the ballroom, bidding the cabman to drive on and wait a little lower down the drive. He looked round for a trustworthy bearer of Elsie's message. By good fortune Lady Horace was coming out of one of the tea-rooms on the arm of Morres Blake. He went up to her. "Lady Horace, may I speak to you for a moment?"

Blake withdrew a few paces. Ina looked at him anxiously. "Where is Elsie," she asked; "I cannot find her."

"Elsie is with me, Ina; something has happened to upset her—I don't know what, unless that cad, Lord Astar"

"Lord Astar!" Ina repeated. "Oh, Frank, mamma said something—nothing is settled. I will not let Elsie be carried away into doing what she will all her life regret. Trust me, Frank. I have been looking for Elsie ever since. You mustn't judge poor mamma hardly. You mustn't be hard on Elsie."

Ina spoke in great agitation. She laid her little hand on his arm beseechingly. He looked at her puzzled.

"I don't quite know what you mean," he said. "I judge Elsie hardly! You know how I love her, Lady Horace, you may trust her with me. She wants to go home. She doesn't want Mrs. Valliant, I asked her. She wants to go home with me. Perhaps she will let me help