at what you danced?"

"I'll say so. And Dick and I are considered pretty spiffy."

"I don't think much of it, Helen," replied Lane, deliberately. "If you
care to--to do that sort of thing I'd imagine you'd rather do it
alone."

"Oh Lord, you talk like mother," she exclaimed.

"Lane, you're out of date," said Swann, with a little sneer.

Lane took a long, steady glance at Swann, but did not reply.

"Daren, everybody has been dancing jazz. It's the rage. The old dances
were slow. The new ones have pep and snap."

"So I see. They have more than that," returned Lane. "But pray, never
mind me. I'm out of date. Go ahead and dance.... If you'd rather, I'll
leave and call on you some other time."

"No, you stay," she replied. "I'll chase this bunch pretty soon."

"Well, you won't chase me. I'll go," spoke up Swann, sullenly, with a
fling of his cigarette.

"You needn't hurt yourself," returned Helen, sarcastically.

"So long, people," said Swann to the others. But it was perfectly
obvious that he did not include Lane. It was also obvious, at least to
Lane, that Swann showed something of intolerance and mastery in the
dark, sullen glance he bestowed upon Helen. She followed him across
the room and out into the hall, from whence her guarded voice sounded
unintelligibly. But Lane's keen ear, despite the starting of the
Victrola, caught Swann's equally low, yet clearer reply. "You can't
kid me. I'm on. You'll vamp Lane if he lets you. Go to it!"

As Helen came back into the room Mackay ran for her, and locking her
in the same embrace--even a tighter one than Swann's--he fell into the
strange steps that had so shocked Lane. Moreover, he was manifestly a
skilful dancer, and showed the thin, lithe, supple body of one trained
down by this or some other violent exercise.

Lane did not watch the dancers this time. Again Bessy Bell refused to
get up from the lounge. The youth was insistent. He pawed at her. And
manifestly she did not like that, for her face flamed, and she
snapped: "Stop it--you bonehead! Can't you see I want to sit here by
Mr. Lane?"

The youth slouched away fuming to himself.

Whereupon Lane got up, and seated himself beside Bessy so that he need
not shout to be heard.

"That was nice of you, Miss Bell--but rather hard on the youngster,"
said Lane.

"He makes me sick. All he wants to do is lolly-gag.... Besides, after
what you said to Helen about the jazz I wouldn't dance in front of you
on a bet."