ind screens, under staircases, at the end of dark
passages, girls whom she had known at St. Leonards incapable of
learning, or even understanding the simplest lessons, suddenly
transformed as if by magic into bright, clever, agreeable girls--capable
of fulfilling that only duty which falls to the lot of women: of amusing
men. But she could not do this, and must, therefore, resign herself to
an aimless life of idleness, and be content in a few years to take a
place amid the Miss Brennans, the Ladies Cullen, the Miss Duffys, the
Honourable Miss Gores, those whom she saw sitting round the walls
'waiting to be asked,' as did the women in the old Babylonian Temple.

Such was her criticism of life as she sat wearily answering Mrs. Gould's
tiresome questions, not daring to approach her mother, who was laughing
with Olive, Captain Hibbert, and Lord Dungory. Waltz after waltz had
been played, and her ears reeked with their crying strain. One or two
men had asked her 'if they might have the pleasure'; but she was
determined to try dancing no more, and had refused them. At last, at the
earnest request of Mrs. Gould, she had allowed Dr. Reed to take her in
to supper. He was an earnest-eyed, stout, commonplace man, and looked
some years over thirty. Alice, however, found she could talk to him
better than with her other partners, and when they left the clattering
supper-room, where plates were being broken and champagne was being
drunk by the gallon, sitting on the stairs, he talked to her till voices
were heard calling for his services. A dancer had been thrown and had
broken his leg. Alice saw something carried towards her, and, rushing
towards May, whom she saw in the doorway, she asked for an explanation.

'Oh, nothing, nothing! he slipped down--has broken or sprained his
ankle--that's all. Why aren't you dancing? Greatest fun in the
world--just beginning to get noisy--and we are going it. Come on, Fred;
come on!'

To the rowdy tune of the _Posthorn Polka_ the different couples were
dashing to and fro--all a little drunk with emotion and champagne; and,
as if fascinated, Alice's eyes followed the shoulders of a tall,
florid-faced man. Doing the _deux temps_, he traversed the room in two
or three prodigious jumps. His partner, a tiny creature, looked a
crushed bird within the circle of his terrible arm. Like a collier
labouring in a heavy sea, a county doctor lurched from side to side,
overpowered by the fattest of the Miss Duff