y of his, "I've never danced with a man before? I--I was a little
afraid just at first lest you should find me--gawky."

"Ye gods!" said Sir Eustace. "And you have really never danced with a man
before! Tell me! How did you like it?"

"It was--heavenly!" said Dinah, drawing a deep breath.

"Will you dance with me again?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yes."

"The very next dance?"

She nodded again. "Yes."

"And again after that?" said Sir Eustace.

She threw him a glance half-shy, half-daring. "Don't you think it might
be too much for you?"

He laughed. "I'll risk it if you will."

She turned towards him with a small, confidential gesture. "What about
Rose de Vigne?" she said. "Don't you want to dance with her?"

"Oh, presently," he said. "She'll keep."

Dinah broke into her high, sweet laugh. "And what about--all my other
partners?" she said, with more assurance.

He bent to her. "They must keep too. Seriously, you don't want to dance
with any other fellow, do you?"

"I'm not a bit serious," said Dinah.

"Do you?" he insisted.

She lifted her eyes momentarily.

"You don't?" he insinuated.

She surrendered without conditions. "Of course I don't."

"Then you mustn't," he said. "Consider yourself booked to me for
to-night, and when you're not dancing with me, you can rest. Sit out with
Scott if you like! Will you do that?"

"Why?" whispered Dinah.

Again her heart was beating very fast; she wondered why.

He answered her with an impetuosity that seemed to carry her along with
it. "Because your dancing is superb, magnificent, and I want to keep it
for myself. It may not be the same when you've danced with another man. A
flower fresh plucked is always sweeter than one that someone else has
worn."

Dinah's hands clasped each other unconsciously. She had never dreamed
that Apollo could so stoop to favour her.

"I will do as you like," she murmured after a moment. "But I don't
suppose for an instant that anyone else would want to dance with me. I
don't know anyone else."

He smiled. "I'm glad of that. It would be sheer sacrilege for you to
dance with a young oaf who didn't know how. It's a bargain then. I'll
give you all I can. You mustn't tell, of course."

"Oh, I won't tell," laughed Dinah.

He gave her his arm. "They are tuning up. We won't lose a minute. I
always like a clear floor, before the rabble begin."

He led her to the top of the room, stood for a moment; then, as the music
began, ca