vian's oddities of conduct--for, since his visit in
the afternoon, Bernard had felt that the spectacle was considerably
enlarged. He had come to feel, also, that poor Gordon's predicament was
by no means an unnatural one. Longueville had begun to take his friend's
dilemma very seriously indeed. The girl was certainly a curious study.

The evening drew to a close and the crowd of Bernard's fellow-loungers
dispersed. The lighted windows of the Kursaal still glittered in
the bosky darkness, and the lamps along the terrace had not been
extinguished; but the great promenade was almost deserted; here and
there only a lingering couple--the red tip of a cigar and the vague
radiance of a light dress--gave animation to the place. But Bernard
sat there still in his tilted chair, beneath his orange-tree; his
imagination had wandered very far and he was awaiting its return to the
fold. He was on the point of rising, however, when he saw three figures
come down the empty vista of the terrace--figures which even at a
distance had a familiar air. He immediately left his seat and, taking
a dozen steps, recognized Angela Vivian, Blanche Evers and Captain
Lovelock. In a moment he met them in the middle of the terrace.

Blanche immediately announced that they had come for a midnight walk.

"And if you think it 's improper," she exclaimed, "it 's not my
invention--it 's Miss Vivian's."

"I beg pardon--it 's mine," said Captain Lovelock. "I desire the credit
of it. I started the idea; you never would have come without me."

"I think it would have been more proper to come without you than with
you," Blanche declared. "You know you 're a dreadful character."

"I 'm much worse when I 'm away from you than when I 'm with you," said
Lovelock. "You keep me in order."

The young girl gave a little cry.

"I don't know what you call order! You can't be worse than you have been
to-night."

Angela was not listening to this; she turned away a little, looking
about at the empty garden.

"This is the third time to-day that you have contradicted yourself," he
said. Though he spoke softly he went nearer to her; but she appeared not
to hear him--she looked away.

"You ought to have been there, Mr. Longueville," Blanche went on. "We
have had a most lovely night; we sat all the evening on Mrs. Vivian's
balcony, eating ices. To sit on a balcony, eating ices--that 's my idea
of heaven."

"With an angel by your side," said Captain Lovelock.

"You