, 1899-03-31
CHAPTER XVII.

Dancing is going on in the small draw.
ing room. Lady Swansdown hardly I'M
derstands herself tonight. That scene
with her hostess has upset her mentally
and bodily and created in her a wild de-
sire to get away from heTseTf, and from
Baltimore at any cost. Some idle freak
has induced her to use Beauclerk as a
safeguard from both, and he, unsettled in
his own mind and eager to come to con-
illusions with Joyce and her fortune, has
lent himself to the wiles of his whilom
foe, and is charmed by her fascinating, if
vagrant, mood.
Perhaps in all her life Lady Swans
down has never looked so lovely as to-
night. Excitement and mental disturb
ance have lent a dangerous brilliancy to
her eyes, a touch of color to her cheek.
There is something electric about her that
touches those who gaze on her and warns
herself that a crisis is at hand.
In a way she has chung to Beauclerk as
a means of escaping MISUNDERSTANDING
out a thousand wiles to charm him to her
side, and succeeding. Three times she
had given a smiling Nor to Lord Balti-
more's demand for a dance, and, regard
less of opinion, had flung herself into q
VII anu ODCA a. VT 4bCduClcIhs
But it is growing toward midnight, and
her strength is failing her. These people,
will they never go? Will she never be
able to seek her own room, and solitude,
and despair, without calling down com
ment on her head, and giving Isabel-that
cold woman-the chance of sneering at
her weakness?
A sudden sense of the uselessness of it
Ill hoe 4aIro, ,neeaeeion af bor. h.. -.
sinks. 1t is at this moment that Balti-
more once more comes up to her.
''This dance?" says he. at is half way
through. You are not engaged, l sup
pose, as you are sitting down? May L
have what remains of itY'
She makes a little gesture of acquies-
cence, and, rising, places her hand upon
his arm.
with a rather grim smile. Well, better
have it and get it over.
That there had been a violent scene be-
tween Baltimore and his wife after dinner
had somehow become known to her. and
the marks of it still betrayed themselves
in the formers %frowning brow and SOM
Der eyes.
1t had been more of a scene thar usual.
1IduN DdlllltOtGg SCh0l dl1 81 CdIIl. udu
for once lost herself, and given way to a
passion of indignation that had shaken
her to her very hearts core. Though so
apparently unmoved and almost i~nsolent
in her demeanor toward Lady Swans
down during their interview, she had
been, nevertheless. cruelty wounded by it,
and could not forgive Baltimore in that
be had been its cause.
Il didn't think you and Beauclerk had
anything in common" say Baltimore,
seating himself beside her on the low
lounge that is half hidden from the public
gaze by the Indian curtains that fall at
each side of it. He had made no pretense
of finishing the dance. He had led the
way and she had suffered herself to be
led into the small ante-room that, half
smothered in early spring flowers, lay off
the dancing room.
"Ah! you see you have yet much to learn
about me-" says she. with an attempt at
gaycty-which fails, however.
about you? MOI" says he, almost de-
family. Don't tell me | have deceived
myself about you, Beatrice; you are all l
have left to- fall back upon now" His
tone is reckless to the last degree. "
What is it. CyrilY' looking at him with
sudden intentness. Something has hap
pened. WhatY'
The old story" returns he. lard | am
sick of it. | have thrown up mythand. |
would have been faithful to her, Beatrice.
/ swear that, but she does not care for
my devotion. And as for me- now