ppy. Stephen may
come too."

Cleopatra purred, and looked down at her toe.

"This is a beautiful floor, isn't it?" said Lord Henry at last, when he
found that the topic of the Tribes also fell completely flat.

"Quite as good as the best in town," Cleopatra replied, her lips
quivering slightly. "Sir Joseph had it specially built when he bought
the place."

"The band is quite good, too, for a provincial,--for a provincial sort
of band," Lord Henry added.

Her eyes were still downcast. "Yes, we haven't had these before. Sir
Joseph usually gets a band from Folkestone."

Meanwhile Mrs. Delarayne and Sir Joseph, who together had opened the
dance, were having a somewhat acrimonious discussion.

"My dear Edith, I'll speak to him if you wish me to," reiterated the
baronet for the third time, "but I think it is a little premature."

"I tell you, Joseph, that if you don't speak to him to-morrow, for
certain, and ask him what his intentions are towards Leonetta, I shall
pack up the girls' and my own traps, and off we'll go."

This brought Sir Joseph to his senses. "Shall we both do it?" he
suggested unctuously.

"Very well, if you prefer it. You see I can't ask Lord Henry to speak to
him, otherwise I would."

Sir Joseph almost lost his temper. "Lord Henry, Lord Henry!--my dear
Edith, of course not! What 'as it got to do with Lord 'Enry?"

"No, that's what I say; that's why I ask you."

"All right, you and I will have him in the study to-morrow, and we'll
ask Leonetta up too, and get the whole thing settled."

"But mind!" said the widow gravely, "I am not at all in favour of it."

* * * * *

When at one A.M. on the following morning, "The Fastness" party had been
driven home, Leonetta and Vanessa, much too excited to go to bed,
lingered interminably over their undressing, and sat talking until
nearly daybreak.

Vanessa was feeling very happy on the whole, because she had had more
dances with Denis than she had expected. She was therefore quite
prepared to be indulgent towards her school-friend, and to exchange
notes without bitterness.

"You had a lovely time with Lord Henry, didn't you?" she said. "You are
a flirt, Leo!"

"My dear, it was simply heavenly."

"And wasn't Denis wild!" Vanessa exclaimed, hoping to widen the breach
between these two.

"Was he?"

"He was wild enough this afternoon, but when he saw you dancing so often
with Lord Henry--well!----"

"What did h