superior manner.

"Well," he said, "I know he was very sick about his brother looking too
closely into his concerns. He has a little affair on just now that he
wants to keep to himself, and I think that that is the reason he went
off so quietly."

"His brother is very upset about it," Andrew remarked.

"Oh! the Duke was always a heavy old stick," Cecil answered. "I see
you've been doing your duty to-night," he added, making a determined
effort to change the conversation.

Andrew nodded.

"Do I look so hot?" he asked. "I am not used to these close rooms, or
dancing either. Unfortunately they seem short of men, and Mrs. Bellamy
Smith had me set."

Cecil grinned.

"That's the worst of dining before a dance," he remarked. "You're
pretty well cornered before the crowd comes. Upon my word, old chap,"
he added, looking his brother up and down with an air of kindly
patronage, "you don't turn out half badly. Country tailor still, eh?"

"Mind your own business, you young jackanapes," Andrew answered. "Do
you think that no one can wear town clothes except yourself?"

Cecil laughed. After all, considering everything, Andrew was a
good-natured fellow.

"By the by," he said, "do you know who is here this evening?"

Andrew demolished another sandwich.

"Every one, I should think," he answered. "I never saw such a crowd in
my life."

"The Princess and Jeanne are here," Cecil said. "I don't suppose we
shall either of us get near them. People are getting to know about
Jeanne's little dot, and they are fairly mobbed everywhere."

Andrew stood for a moment quite still. His first emotion was one of
dismay, and Cecil, noticing it, laughed at him.

"You can go ahead with your little flirtation," he remarked. "I had
quite forgotten that. You needn't consider me. I haven't a chance with
Miss Jeanne. She's too cranky a young person for me. I like something
with a little more go in it."

Cecil drifted away, and Andrew glanced at his card. There were two
dances for which he was still engaged, and he made his way slowly back
to the ballroom. There was a slight block at the entrance, and he had
to stand aside to let several couples pass out. One of the last of
these was Jeanne, on the arm of young Bellamy Smith. Andrew stood quite
still looking at her. He saw her start for a moment as she recognized
him, and her eyes swept him over with a half incredulous, half startled
expression. She drew a little breath. And then Andrew saw