, begged for more music from the orchestra, tallied with
an effort of the size and spaciousness of the palace and the
magnificence of the feast.

She had told herself that she had ceased to hope. She did not know
how false it was until the eunuch brought his message. Then hope
really died.

The general was below and begged to be announced to madame.

"We fly!" whispered a lingerer with nervous laughter, and hastily
the young people hurried into their tcharchafs and veils, murmuring
among themselves, with sidelong glances at that white figure whose
cold hand and cheek they had just touched, hastily they sped, like
light-footed nymphs in some witches' robes, down the long room,
while Madame de Coulevain drew back a strand of the girl's dark hair
and murmured, "But smile, my dear," to the still figure and escaped
with the guests.

And then Aimee was alone in the great room, deserted of its throngs,
a darkening room, full of burned-down candles and fallen flower
petals, with here and there the traces of the revelers, a scented
handkerchief ... a fan ... a buckle from some French slipper ... or
a feather from some ancient turban clasp....

Like the ghost of some deserted queen, with her regal satins and
glittering circlet, she waited. There was a moment of grace in which
she tried, to turn a gallant face toward the next moment.

Then he came, advancing.... It may have been her distorted fancy,
but down the long perspective, that figure looked more mincing, more
waspish, more unreal than ever. And she was conscious of that swift
rising of dislike, of antagonism touched with reasonless fear.

CHAPTER XIII

THE BEY RETURNS

He kissed her hands. She caught the murmur of compliments and the
mingled scent of musk and wine. He had been dining at his reception
for the men, but he called now for a table and more refreshment.

A small table was brought to the end of the room near the marriage
throne where all the day she had paraded; a richly embroidered cloth
of satin was flung over it, and from crowding candelabra fresh
lights shed down a little circle of brilliance.

Faintly Aimee protested that eat she could not, and then she made a
feint of eating, lingering over her sherbets, because eating was,
after all, so safe and uncomplicated a thing.

The black brought champagne in its jacket of ice and filled their
glasses.

The general rose. "_A notre bonheur_--to our happiness," he
declared, holding out his gl