"Ingred said his partners would have
to pull him around somehow."

Supper was a diversion, for she was taken in by quite a nice red-headed
boy, a little younger than herself, who, after a manful effort to talk
up to her supposed level, thankfully relapsed into details of
football-matches. Being a nephew of the house, he proved an adept in
attracting the most tempting dishes of fruit or trifle to their
particular table, and even basely commandeered other people's crackers
for her benefit. She bade him good-by with regret.

"I say, I wish my card wasn't full! I'd have liked a dance with you!" he
murmured wistfully as they left the supper-room.

If only she had known people better, and the atmosphere had not seemed
so stiff and formal, and she had not been so miserably shy, Quenrede
might have enjoyed herself. As it was she began counting the hours. In
one of the wallflower gaps of her program she took a stroll into the
conservatory. It looked like fairyland with the colored lanterns hanging
among the palms and flowers. Somebody else was apparently enjoying the
pretty effect--somebody who turned round rather guiltily as if he were
caught; then at sight of her smiled in relief.

"I thought you were one of my hostesses come to round me up to do my
duty," he confessed. "I'm a duffer at dancing, so I've taken cover in
here. I see you don't remember me, but we've met before--at Red Ridge
Barrow. My name's Broughten."

"Why, of course! You had a piece of candle and showed us inside the
mound. I ought to have known you again, but--you look so different----"

"In evening dress! So do you; but I recognized you in a minute. Look
here" (in sudden compunction), "am I keeping you from a partner?"

"No more than I am keeping you!" twinkled Quenrede, pointing to the
empty line on her program. "I'm not dancing this, so I came here to--to
enjoy myself."

Her companion laughed in swift comprehension.

"I don't know how other people may find it," he confided, "but hour
after hour of this sort of thing gets on my nerves. A tramp over the
moor is far more my line of amusement. I was wishing I might go home!"

"So was I!"

"But there's still at least another hour and a half."

"With extras, more!" admitted Quenrede.

He held out his hand for her program. "I'm an idiot at dancing, but
would you mind sitting out a few with me?"

"If you won't talk about the floor and the decorations and the band, and
ask me whether I've been to