. The little incident of the chain had somehow for the moment
made the ball and her place in it more attractive to her.

* * * * *

They had no sooner stepped from their carriage than Aldous, who was
waiting in the outer hall, joyously discovered them. Till then he had
been walking aimlessly amid the crowd of his own guests, wondering when
she would come, how she would like it. This splendid function had been
his grandfather's idea; it would never have entered his own head for a
moment. Yet he understood his grandfather's wish to present his heir's
promised bride in this public ceremonious way to the society of which
she would some day be the natural leader. He understood, too, that there
was more in the wish than met the ear; that the occasion meant to Lord
Maxwell, whether Dick Boyce were there or no, the final condoning of
things past and done with, a final throwing of the Maxwell shield over
the Boyce weakness, and full adoption of Marcella into her new family.

All this he understood and was grateful for. But how would _she_
respond? How would she like it--this parade that was to be made of
her--these people that must be introduced to her? He was full of
anxieties.

Yet in many ways his mind had been easier of late. During the last week
she had been very gentle and good to him--even Miss Raeburn had been
pleased with her. There had been no quoting of Wharton when they met;
and he had done his philosopher's best to forget him. He trusted her
proudly, intensely; and in four weeks she would be his wife.

"Can you bear it?" he said to her in a laughing whisper as she and her
mother emerged from the cloak-room.

"Tell me what to do," she said, flushing. "I will do my best. What a
crowd! Must we stay very long?"

"Ah, my dear Mrs. Boyce," cried Lord Maxwell, meeting them on the steps
of the inner quadrangular corridor--"Welcome indeed! Let me take you in.
Marcella! with Aldous's permission!" he stooped his white head gallantly
and kissed her on the cheek--"Remember I am an old man; if I choose to
pay you compliments, you will have to put up with them!"

Then he offered Mrs. Boyce his arm, a stately figure in his ribbon and
cross of the Bath. A delicate red had risen to that lady's thin cheek in
spite of her self-possession. "Poor thing," said Lord Maxwell to himself
as he led her along--"poor thing!--how distinguished and charming still!
One sees to-night what she was like as a girl