e high places at feasts?"

The supper passed off as brilliantly as most successful suppers do.
Mrs. Carr looked charming, and her conversation sparkled like her own
champagne; but it seemed to him that, as in the case of the wine,
there was too much sting in it. The wine was a little too dry, and her
talk a little too full of suppressed sarcasm, though he could not
quite tell what it was aimed at, any more than he could trace the
source of the champagne bubbles.

Supper done, he led her back to the ball-room. The second extra was
just beginning, and she stood as though she were expecting him to ask
her to dance it.

"I am sorry, Mildred, but I must go now. I am engaged this dance."

"Indeed--who to?" This was very coldly said.

"Lady Florence," he answered, confusedly, though there really was no
reason why he should be ashamed.

She looked at him steadily.

"Oh! I forgot, for to-night you are her monopoly. Good-bye."

A little while after this, Arthur thought that he had had about enough
dancing for awhile, and went and sat by himself in a secluded spot
under the shadow of a tree-fern in a temporary conservatory put up
outside a bow-window. The Chinese lantern that hung upon the fern had
gone out, leaving his chair in total darkness. Presently a couple,
whom he did not recognize, for he only saw their backs, strayed in,
and placed themselves on a bench before him in such a way as to
entirely cut off his retreat. He was making up his mind to disturb
them, when they began a conversation, in which the squeezing of hands
and mild terms of endearment played a part. Fearing to interrupt, lest
he should disturb their equanimity, he judged it best to stop where he
was. Presently, however, their talk took a turn that proved intensely
interesting to him. It was something as follows:--

_She_. "Have you seen the hero of the evening?"

_He_. "Who? Do you mean the Portuguese Governor in his war-paint?"

_She_. "No, of course not. You don't call him a hero, do you? I mean
our hostess's _fiance_, the nice-looking young fellow who took her in
to supper."

_He_. "Oh, yes. I did not think much of him. Lucky dog! but he must be
rather mean. They say that he is engaged to a girl in England, and has
thrown her over for the widow."

_She_. "Ah, you're jealous! I know that you would like to be in his
shoes. Come, confess."

_He_. "You are very unkind. Why should I be jealous when----"

_She_. "Well, you need not hurt my han