y prospective son-in-law."

And at that Will laughed like a merry boy and moved away. "I know I can
cut out Noel," he said as he went. "As for Nick, he is welcome to as
many as he can get."

CHAPTER XIII

A woman's prejudice

The evening was marked for ever in Olga's calendar as the merriest of
her life. She was positively giddy with happiness, and she danced as she
had never danced before. No one deemed her colourless or insignificant
that night. She was radiant, and all who saw her felt the glow.

The only flaw in her joy was a slight dread of Noel; but this he very
quickly dispelled, singling her out at once to plead for dances.

"You've saved a few for me, I know," he said, in his wheedling Irish
way, and she saw at once that, whatever his inner feelings, he had no
intention of wearing his heart on his sleeve.

She showed him her programme. "Yes, I've kept quite a lot for you to
choose from," she said.

He flashed her a glance from his dark eyes that made her drop her own.
"All right then," he said coolly. "I'll take 'em all."

She raised no protest though she had not quite expected that of him. She
felt she owed it to him--as if in short she ought to give him anything
he asked for to make up for what she had been compelled to withhold.

Max, sauntering up a little later, took her programme and looked at it
with brows slightly raised. He gave it back to her, however, without
comment.

Noel was the best dancer in the room, and Olga fully appreciated the
fact. She loved Nick's dancing also, but it always brought to notice his
crippled state, a fact which he never seemed to mind, but which she had
never wholly ceased to mourn.

It was a great surprise to her to see Will Musgrave on the scene. When
he came to her side her programme was full.

"Oh, knock off one of Nick's!" he said. "I owe him one."

But she would not do this till Nick's permission had been obtained and
Nick had airily secured Daisy as a substitute.

Her dances with Max were spent chiefly in a very dark corner of the
verandah, as he maintained that she was in a highly feverish condition
and rest and quiet were essential. There was certainly some truth in the
assertion though she indignantly denied it, and the intervals passed
thus undoubtedly calmed her and kept her from reaching too high a pitch
of excitement.

Max was exceedingly composed and steady. He danced with Daisy Musgrave,
and provoked her to exasperation by his _san