out of their lists. His pride recoiled in
self-contempt from its own smart. But he had been accustomed to walk
this world as one of its princelings, and indifference to what it might
think of him was not immediately attainable.

All the same, he was still handsome, distinguished, and well born. No
one could overlook him in a ballroom, and few women could be quite
indifferent to his approach. He danced as much as he wished, and with
the prettiest girls. His eyes meanwhile were always wandering over the
crowd, searching in vain for a delicate face, and a wealth of brown
hair. Yet she had told him herself that Lady Langmoor was to bring her
to this ball. He only wanted to see her--from a distance--not to speak
to her--or be spoken to.

"Douglas," said a laughing voice in his ear--"will you dance the royal
quadrille with me? Something's happened to my partner. Mother sent me
to ask you."

He turned and saw the youngest daughter of the house, Lady Alice, with
whom he had always been on chaffing, cousinly terms; and as she spoke a
sudden stir and hush in the room showed that the royal party had
arrived, and were being received in the hall below.

Falloden's first irritable instinct was to refuse. Why should he go out
of his way to make himself a show for all these eyes? Then a secret
excitement--an expectation--awoke in him, and he nodded a laughing
comment to Lady Alice, who just stayed to throw him a mocking compliment
on his knee-breeches, and ran away. Immediately afterwards, the royal
party came through the lane made for them, shaking hands with their
acquaintance, and bowing right and left. As they disappeared into the
room beyond, which had been reserved for them, the crowd closed up
behind them. Falloden heard a voice at his elbow.

"How are you? I hear you're to be in the quadrille. You'll have the
pretty lady we saw at Oxford for a colleague."

He turned to see Mrs. Glendower, very much made-up and glittering with
diamonds. Her face seemed to him to have grown harder and plainer, her
smile more brazen since their Oxford meeting. But she filled up time
agreeably till the quadrille was ready. She helped him to pin on the
small rosette made of the Tamworth colours which marked all the dancers
in the royal quadrille, and she told him that Constance Bledlow was to
dance it with the Tamworths' eldest son, Lord Bletchley.

"There's a great deal of talk about her, as perhaps you know. She's very
much admired. The L