ht to have come down," he said imperiously. "I shall expect you
next time." His hand inadvertently touched the box on the table and he
looked sharply downwards. "Here, Biddy! Take this thing away!" he ordered
with a frown.

Isabel leaned swiftly forward. "Give it to me!" she said.

His hand closed upon it. "No. Let Biddy take it!"

"Let me!" said Dinah suddenly, and sprang to her feet.

She took it from him before he had time to protest, and gave it forthwith
into Isabel's outstretched hands.

Eustace took up his cup in heavy silence, and drained it.

Then he rose. "Come along, Miss Bathurst!"

But Dinah remained seated. "I am very sorry," she said. "But I can't."

"Oh, nonsense!" He smiled very suddenly and winningly upon her. "Surely
you won't disappoint me!"

She shook her head. Her eyes were wistful. "I'm disappointing myself
quite as much. But I mustn't. The Colonel has gone to bed with dyspepsia,
and Lady Grace and Rose have gone too by this time. I can't come down
again."

"Nonsense!" he said again. "You want to. You know you do. No one pays any
attention to Mrs. Grundy out here. She simply doesn't exist. Scott can
come and play propriety. He's staid enough to chaperon a whole girls'
school."

"Thanks, old chap," said Scott. "But I'm not coming down again, either."

Eustace looked over his head. "Then you must, Isabel. Come along! Just to
oblige Miss Bathurst! It won't hurt you to sit in a safe corner for one
dance."

Isabel looked up at him with a startled expression, as of one trapped.
"Oh, don't ask me!" she said. "I couldn't!"

"No, don't!" said Dinah. "It isn't, fair to bother anyone else on my
account! I'm dreadfully sorry to have to refuse. But--in any case--I
ought not to come."

"What of that?" said Eustace lightly. "Do you always do what you ought?
What a dull programme!"

Dinah flushed. "Dull but respectable," she said, with a touch of spirit.

He laughed. "But I'm not asking you to do anything very outrageous, and I
shouldn't ask it at all if I didn't know you wanted to do it. Besides,
you promised. It's generally considered the respectable thing to do to
keep one's promises."

That reached Dinah. She wavered perceptibly. "Lady Grace will be so
vexed," she murmured.

He snapped his fingers in careless disdain.

She turned appealingly to Scott. "I think I might go--just for one dance,
don't you?"

Scott's pale eyes met hers with steady comradeship. "I think I
shouldn't," he