lady's trick--she had heard talk of such things among the
older girls at the convent--opined "'twas the thing to do." And
they followed the passage until an arched and curtained doorway but
screened them from that 'twas within the grand saloon, and Constance
made bold to draw aside a finger-breadth of the sweeping curtain and
peep within.

"Ah! ah! 'tis a beauteous sight!" and she turned from what she saw
and drew the curtain to a generous opening; and the two with heads
together looked through.

Every candle had been snuffed and through the great north window came
the rays from the light in the forked tree that fell like moonlight
athwart the saloon. In the centre of the broad gleam was a sylph-like
form, keeping time to the music in a sort of phantom style of
movement; twisting, shimmering folds that appeared to effuse a
scintillation of opal shades. 'Twas the chaconne; slow, graceful and
full of romance, the full major lifting and seeming to float, at last
dying imperceptibly into the minor passacaille. About were seated,
carelessly and after the manner of men who had pulled at the bottle
for hours in the hunting field and were now somewhat overcome by
warmth and _ennui_, beaux old and young, 'suaging their appetite of
mouth and eye by wine and women.

"'Tis the King sets the pace!" said one, close to the curtain.

"Egad!" said another. "He not only sets it, but carries it along. He
has fine wenches at his beck and call." 'Twas evident 'twas but the
beginning of revelry; a sort of bacchanalian prelude to what might
come later. No sooner was this dance finished than another began.
Some lithe creature came forth to dance, in bright scarlet, the
passacaglia. The glasses were refilled and the noise became more
boisterous; and the scandal more flagrant. The candles were set aglow
again and tables were brought for those wishing to gamble. And one
richly dressed and full of wine sprung upon a table and held aloft a
glass and called forth:

"Here, here is to his Lordship of Crandlemar and to a long life of
free and easy celibacy." Now 'twas said Lord Cedric could drink more
without becoming undignified than any other man of his company, but it
seemed he gave himself to the spirit of the moment and had drunk deep.
When the young blood upon the table offered the toast, Cedric sprung
as if shot to the table, where he staggered and would have fallen, had
it not been for the youth who bore him up. Holtcolm, in his drunken