g to pump and balance for time. They
made three false starts and then got away. Ariel danced badly; she
hopped and lost the step, but they persevered, bumping against other
couples continually. Circling breathlessly into the next room, they
passed close to a long mirror, in which Ariel saw herself, although in
a flash, more bitterly contrasted to the others than in the
cheval-glass of the dressing-room. The clump of roses was flopping
about her neck, her crimped hair looked frowzy, and there was something
terribly wrong about her dress. Suddenly she felt her train to be
ominously grotesque, as a thing following her in a nightmare.

A moment later she caught her partner making a burlesque face of
suffering over her shoulder, and, turning her head quickly, saw for
whose benefit he had constructed it. Eugene Bantry, flying expertly by
with Mamie, was bestowing upon Mr. Flitcroft a condescendingly
commiserative wink. The next instant she tripped in her train and fell
to the floor at Eugene's feet, carrying her partner with her.

There was a shout of laughter. The young hostess stopped Eugene, who
would have gone on, and he had no choice but to stoop to Ariel's
assistance.

"It seems to be a habit of mine," she said, laughing loudly.

She did not appear to see the hand he offered, but got to her feet
without help and walked quickly away with Norbert, who proceeded to
live up to the character he had given himself.

"Perhaps we had better not try it again," she laughed.

"Well, I should think not," he returned, with the frankest gloom. With
the air of conducting her home he took her to the chair against the
wall whence he had brought her. There his responsibility for her
seemed to cease. "Will you excuse me?" he asked, and there was no
doubt that he felt that he had been given more than his share that
evening, even though he was fat.

"Yes, indeed." Her laughter was continuous. "I should think you WOULD
be glad to get rid of me after that. Ha, ha, ha! Poor Mr. Flitcroft,
you know you are!"

It was the deadly truth, and the fat one, saying, "Well, if you'll just
excuse me now," hurried away with a step which grew lighter as the
distance from her increased. Arrived at the haven of a far doorway, he
mopped his brow and shook his head grimly in response to frequent
rallyings.

Ariel sat through more dances, interminable dances and intermissions,
in that same chair, in which, it began to seem, she was to li