ut Annette did not answer.

"'I believe she's fainted,' cried out a girl, who had caught sight of her
face as it was swept by.

"One of the men sprang forward and clutched at the figure, but its
impetus threw him down on to the floor, where its steel-cased feet laid
bare his cheek. The thing evidently did not intend to part with its
prize easily.

"Had any one retained a cool head, the figure, one cannot help thinking,
might easily have been stopped. Two or three men, acting in concert,
might have lifted it bodily off the floor, or have jammed it into a
corner. But few human heads are capable of remaining cool under
excitement. Those who are not present think how stupid must have been
those who were; those who are, reflect afterwards how simple it would
have been to do this, that, or the other, if only they had thought of it
at the time.

"The women grew hysterical. The men shouted contradictory directions to
one another. Two of them made a bungling rush at the figure, which had
the result of forcing it out of its orbit in the centre of the room, and
sending it crashing against the walls and furniture. A stream of blood
showed itself down the girl's white frock, and followed her along the
floor. The affair was becoming horrible. The women rushed screaming
from the room. The men followed them.

"One sensible suggestion was made: 'Find Geibel--fetch Geibel.'

"No one had noticed him leave the room, no one knew where he was. A
party went in search of him. The others, too unnerved to go back into
the ballroom, crowded outside the door and listened. They could hear the
steady whir of the wheels upon the polished floor, as the thing spun
round and round; the dull thud as every now and again it dashed itself
and its burden against some opposing object and ricocheted off in a new
direction.

"And everlastingly it talked in that thin ghostly voice, repeating over
and over the same formula: 'How charming you are looking to-night. What
a lovely day it has been. Oh, don't be so cruel. I could go on dancing
for ever--with you. Have you had supper?'

"Of course they sought for Geibel everywhere but where he was. They
looked in every room in the house, then they rushed off in a body to his
own place, and spent precious minutes in waking up his deaf old
housekeeper. At last it occurred to one of the party that Wenzel was
missing also, and then the idea of the counting-house across the yard
presented itself