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230 "No," said Ina, "he danced with no one else—of the girls."

"There. Think of that, Mr. Trant! It may be written on my tombstone! 'She danced with a Prince.' There was nothing possible for me after that. I came away. That's why I don't know much about the ball."

Trant looked mystified. "Is it true?" he said.

"Is what true?"

"You know well enough; what they are saying everywhere. At Fermoy's they can talk of nothing else."

"Yes, it is true. Ina, you are not going?"

"By the way, Lord Horace told me to tell you that he wanted you," said Trant; "it seems rather a blunt way of putting it, Lady Horace. I give the message as it was given."

Ina took up her gloves and parasol. "It is to settle about going up to the Dell. Elsie, you will come?"

"Oh, yes," said Elsie. "Anything for a change. Goodbye, Ina dear. I shall see you in the evening."

Trant stood looking at Elsie.

"Why don't you sit down? You make me nervous."

"Come down to the boathouse," he said. "I want to ask you something."

"Well, there is a horrid glare here," replied Elsie, coolly. "If you like, we'll go to the steps."

When they were seated, she said: "What is it? Please be melodramatic. Please be interesting. Please do something that will make me for the moment think of you and nobody else."

"Does that mean that you are thinking of somebody else in a way that is disagreeable?"

"Yes."

"That's a strange confession for a young lady who has just gone and got herself engaged. It can't be of Mr. Frank Hallett that you are thinking?"

"What does that matter to you?" said Elsie. "I suppose I may pity Mr. Hallett, if I like?"