Evening star., 1914-07-19

quick, dazzling look, and said, a renem-
ber." The rest of the message he could not
tell; yet he knew that there was something
else, and he ached to seize its meaning.
Alastair did not give Daura up till the
music of the waltz had ceased, and everyone
else in the hall had stopped dancing. Even
then he stood beside her, smiling that insult
ferable smile of possession while other men
crowded round asking for dances, or even
parts of dances. No doubt he had already
put his initials where he most wanted them
on Lady Dauras program, and Troy's name
was not there at all. He had her promise
only for the first reel and the second waltz.
At last men began taking their partners,
and his chance had come. His heart was
pounding with fear that he might disgrace
himself in his teachers eyes by making
some blunder in the reel. He thought more
about this than of the fact that he was to
dance with the witch-girl. Yet she was not
like a witch now, in her sadness and pale
ness. Her hand, when he took it, was cold
If he could but know of what she was think
ing, on the threshold of this dance which was
to make him love her, in spite of himself!
7 ONGING to read her thoughts, Troy
Woull nave DcCll SlduLcllc'l COulu llC
have guessed Daura's reluctant admiration
of him.
He might have stepped out of an old pic
ture, in his kilt and graceful plaid, fastened
in exactly the right way with fine old
brooch, his high stock with its fall of point
lace, and the delicate wrist ruffles that
seemed somehow to emphasize the strength
and virility of the brown hands.
Some of the older men and middle-aged
woman or two remembered the beautiful
Margaret Cameron, whom they had known
slightly, or at least occasionally seen when
she was one of the prettiest girls in Scotland,
went away forever. They spoke of the
striking resemblance between this tall young
man and the long ago vanished beauty; and
when Lord Gorme was asked if Troy was
son of Margaret Cameron's he said yes.
Daura was ignorant of the brief love story;
but when she heard for the first time that
her father had known Troy's mother she
remembered the suddenly shut door, and
was close to making guess.
She had just heard the name of Margaret
Cameron, an old friend in connection with
reel. The news had excited her, she hardly
knew why.
3Courage!" she whispered, as kindly as if
they were really friends. al want to be
proud of you. Oh, 1 don't mean courage
toward me! Just now, for the reel, we'll
forget that. Only, don't think about other
people. Think only of our lessons. You
and | together can carry all before u.s.
He was grateful to her. "What gracious
little lady she can be if she lkes!" was the
thought in his mind. And he danced well
in the eightsome, which was the ordeal he
had to go through. He could almost have
laughed in his joy when the end came, and
she praised him.
@The next is our waltz" she said. "Will
you take me out of doors till the time comes?
1t is so warm already in the hall, and lots of
people are going outside
He thought that perhaps she would have
something to say to him in the moonlight
for, though there were other couples walking
slowly and talking, each pair was more or
less alone. But she spoke not one word, and
he determined not to be the one to begin.
Her silence affected him oddly. 1t was like
some strange prelude to the music of passion.
And all the time her hand lay lightly in the
hollow of his arm. She pressed it suddenly,
almost spasmodically, as Others began to
drift back to the ballroom; and Troy took
it as signal that it was time for them.