to the town-house; these were pale and
collected, showed less enjoyment in their countenances, and wore in
general an approximation to the languid manners of the capital.

A quadrille was in progress, and Somerset scanned each set. His mind had
run so long upon the necklace, that his glance involuntarily sought out
that gleaming object rather than the personality of its wearer. At the
top of the room there he beheld it; but it was on the neck of Charlotte
De Stancy.

The whole lucid explanation broke across his understanding in a second.
His dear Paula had fetched the necklace that Charlotte should not appear
to disadvantage among the county people by reason of her poverty. It was
generously done--a disinterested act of sisterly kindness; theirs was
the friendship of Hermia and Helena. Before he had got further than
to realize this, there wheeled round amongst the dancers a lady whose
tournure he recognized well. She was Paula; and to the young man's
vision a superlative something distinguished her from all the rest. This
was not dress or ornament, for she had hardly a gem upon her, her
attire being a model of effective simplicity. Her partner was Captain De
Stancy.

The discovery of this latter fact slightly obscured his appreciation of
what he had discovered just before. It was with rather a lowering brow
that he asked himself whether Paula's predilection d'artiste, as she
called it, for the De Stancy line might not lead to a predilection of
a different sort for its last representative which would be not at all
satisfactory.

The architect remained in the background till the dance drew to a
conclusion, and then he went forward. The circumstance of having met him
by accident once already that day seemed to quench any surprise in Miss
Power's bosom at seeing him now. There was nothing in her parting
from Captain De Stancy, when he led her to a seat, calculated to make
Somerset uneasy after his long absence. Though, for that matter, this
proved nothing; for, like all wise maidens, Paula never ventured on the
game of the eyes with a lover in public; well knowing that every moment
of such indulgence overnight might mean an hour's sneer at her expense
by the indulged gentleman next day, when weighing womankind by the aid
of a cold morning light and a bad headache.

While Somerset was explaining to Paula and her aunt the reason of his
sudden appearance, their attention was drawn to a seat a short way off
by a flutterin