ce of confusion. "She has promised
to dance with me later," he said.

"I'm glad of that. I suppose you've engaged her for the cotillion."

At this he looked a little awkward. "No, I didn't ask her for that. It's
a quadrille."

"Ah, you're not clever!" said Isabel almost angrily. "I told her to keep
the cotillion in case you should ask for it."

"Poor little maid, fancy that!" And Lord Warburton laughed frankly. "Of
course I will if you like."

"If I like? Oh, if you dance with her only because I like it--!"

"I'm afraid I bore her. She seems to have a lot of young fellows on her
book."

Isabel dropped her eyes, reflecting rapidly; Lord Warburton stood there
looking at her and she felt his eyes on her face. She felt much inclined
to ask him to remove them. She didn't do so, however; she only said to
him, after a minute, with her own raised: "Please let me understand."

"Understand what?"

"You told me ten days ago that you'd like to marry my stepdaughter.
You've not forgotten it!"

"Forgotten it? I wrote to Mr. Osmond about it this morning."

"Ah," said Isabel, "he didn't mention to me that he had heard from you."

Lord Warburton stammered a little. "I--I didn't send my letter."

"Perhaps you forgot THAT."

"No, I wasn't satisfied with it. It's an awkward sort of letter to
write, you know. But I shall send it to-night."

"At three o'clock in the morning?"

"I mean later, in the course of the day."

"Very good. You still wish then to marry her?"

"Very much indeed."

"Aren't you afraid that you'll bore her?" And as her companion stared at
this enquiry Isabel added: "If she can't dance with you for half an hour
how will she be able to dance with you for life?"

"Ah," said Lord Warburton readily, "I'll let her dance with other
people! About the cotillion, the fact is I thought that you--that you--"

"That I would do it with you? I told you I'd do nothing."

"Exactly; so that while it's going on I might find some quiet corner
where we may sit down and talk."

"Oh," said Isabel gravely, "you're much too considerate of me."

When the cotillion came Pansy was found to have engaged herself,
thinking, in perfect humility, that Lord Warburton had no intentions.
Isabel recommended him to seek another partner, but he assured her that
he would dance with no one but herself. As, however, she had, in spite
of the remonstrances of her hostess, declined other invitations on the
ground that she was not dancin