no reply except by a slight bow, got up and put her
hand within her partner's arm.

"Shall I find you here, Lady Lufton, when we have done?" she said;
and then started off among the dancers. When the work before one is
dancing the proper thing for a gentleman to do is, at any rate, to
ask a lady; this proper thing Lord Lufton had omitted, and now the
prize was taken away from under his very nose.

There was clearly an air of triumph about Lord Dumbello as he walked
away with the beauty. The world had been saying that Lord Lufton was
to marry her, and the world had also been saying that Lord Dumbello
admired her. Now this had angered Lord Dumbello, and made him feel as
though he walked about, a mark of scorn, as a disappointed suitor.
Had it not been for Lord Lufton, perhaps he would not have cared so
much for Griselda Grantly; but circumstances had so turned out that
he did care for her, and felt it to be encumbent upon him, as the
heir to a marquisate, to obtain what he wanted, let who would have a
hankering after the same article. It is in this way that pictures are
so well sold at auctions; and Lord Dumbello regarded Miss Grantly
as being now subject to the auctioneer's hammer, and conceived that
Lord Lufton was bidding against him. There was, therefore, an air
of triumph about him as he put his arm round Griselda's waist and
whirled her up and down the room in obedience to the music. Lady
Lufton and her son were left together looking at each other. Of
course, he had intended to ask Griselda to dance, but it cannot
be said that he very much regretted his disappointment. Of course
also Lady Lufton had expected that her son and Griselda would stand
up together, and she was a little inclined to be angry with her
protegee. "I think she might have waited a minute," said Lady Lufton.

"But why, mother? There are certain things for which no one ever
waits: to give a friend, for instance, the first passage through a
gate out hunting, and such like. Miss Grantly was quite right to take
the first that offered." Lady Lufton had determined to learn what was
to be the end of this scheme of hers. She could not have Griselda
always with her, and if anything were to be arranged it must be
arranged now, while both of them were in London. At the close of the
season Griselda would return to Plumstead, and Lord Lufton would
go--nobody as yet knew where. It would be useless to look forward to
further opportunities. If they did not con