there's anything which he
detests, it's girls who whiten their faces with chalk."

Still Dorothy did not feel comforted. A nameless fear which she could
scarcely define by words had crept into her heart, and a smoldering
flame of jealousy burst suddenly forth; and that was the beginning of a
terrible end.

She leaned wearily back in her seat, and looked so white that Katy was
frightened.

"Shall I get you a glass of ice-water, Miss Dorothy?" she cried.

The pale lips murmured assent, and she flew to do her mistress' bidding.

Left to herself, Dorothy sprang hastily to her feet.

"It almost seems as if I shall go mad!" she murmured--"yes, mad--with
this terrible fear clutching at my heart! I must have air. I am
stifling!"

All unmindful of the errand upon which she had sent Katy, Dorothy rose
hastily to her feet, and, remembering that there was a rear entrance
leading from the ball-room near where she sat, she groped her way
thither.

The night air fanned her feverish cheek, but it did not cool the fever
in her brain or the fire that seemed eating into her very heart. A
thousand fancies, so weird and strange that they terrified her, seemed
to take possession of her brain. She had relied so entirely upon what
they had told her--that Miss Vincent was very plain--that the feeling of
jealousy had never before occurred to her; for well she knew that Harry
Kendal was a beauty-worshiper, and that no matter how much he might be
thrown in contact with a girl who was plain of face, he would never
dream of being anything else than simply courteous to her.

Now affairs seemed to take on a new and hideous form.

She recalled each and every incident that had taken place since Miss
Vincent's arrival, and

"Trifles light as air
Seemed confirmation strong as Holy Writ"

as she viewed them now.

"Even the guests notice how attentive he is to her," she said to
herself, with a bitter sob, wringing her cold little hands and clutching
them tightly over her heart.

Suddenly she heard the sound of voices, and sank down upon a seat at
hand until they should pass by.

She did not know that the seat which she had selected on the broad
piazza was directly back of one of the large, vine-wreathed, fluted
pillars, and in the dense shadow.

This time she readily divined that the voices must belong to two
light-hearted, happy girls.

"Are you having a good time, Grace, dear?" asked one.

"Oh, quite the jolliest