"Look, is he still near me?" inquired Rosa, shaking as if with an ague.

Mr. Berners turned his head, and then answered:

"Yes, just to your left."

"Oh! please ask him to go away! I freeze and burn, all in one minute,
while he is near!"

That was enough for Lyon Berners. He arose and went to Death, and said:

"Excuse me, friend. No offence is meant; but your rather ghastly costume
is too much for the nerves of the lady who is with me. I do not ask you
to withdraw to some other part of the room; but I ask you whether you
will do so, or whether I shall take the lady away from her
resting-place?"

"Oh! I will withdraw! I know that my presence is not ever welcome,
though I am not always so easily got rid of!" answered Death as, with a
low inclination of his head, he went away.

"Oh! I breathe again! I live again!" murmured Rosa, with a sigh of
relief.

"And now you are sufficiently rested, the music is striking up for a
lively quadrille, and so, if you please, we will join the dancers and
dance away dull care!" said Lyon Berners, rising and offering his arm to
Rosa Blondelle.

She arose and took his arm.

(Sybil, in her little Puritan's dress moved after them.)

He led her to the head of a set that was about to be formed.

"Oh! there she is!" suddenly exclaimed Rosa.

"Who?"

"Sybil."

"Where?"

"There!"

And Rosa pointed to one of the doors, at which Beatrix Pendleton, in
Sybil's disguise, was just entering the room.

"No matter! See! she has taken another direction from this, and will not
be near you, dear child; so be at rest," said Lyon Berners soothingly.

"Oh! I am so glad! You don't know how I fear that woman," replied Rosa.

"But you did not use to do so!"

"No! not until to-night! To-night when I met her terrible eyes," said
Rosa.

"Come, come, dear! Cheer up," smiled Mr. Berners, encouragingly, as he
took her hand and led her to the order--"Forward four!"

The dance began, and Sybil heard no more; but she had heard enough to
convince her, if she had not been convinced before, of her guest's
treachery and her husband's enthrallment.

She went and sat down quietly in a remote corner, and "bided her time."
And waltz succeeded quadrille, and quadrille waltz. At the beginning of
every new dance, some one would come up and ask for the honor of her
hand, which she always politely refused--taking good care to speak in a
low tone, and disguised voice. At length Captain Pendleton came up, an