ned with dark-green ivy leaves aglitter with diamond drops.

While he gazed, Lord Ernest Strathmore came up, said something, and
whirled her off in the waltz. Away they flew. Lord Ernest waltzed to
perfection, and she--a French woman or a fairy only could float like
that.

A fierce, jealous pang griped his heart; a second, and they were out of
sight. Sir Everard roused himself from his trance and went up to his
hostess to pay his respects.

"Ah!" Lady Carteret said, a little spitefully, "the spell is broken at
last! There was no mistaking that look, Sir Everard! My dear Lady
Kingsland"--laughing, but malicious still--"take care of your son. I'm
afraid he's going to fall in love."

CHAPTER XI.

"FOR LOVE WILL STILL BE LORD OF ALL."

My Lady Carteret's ball was a brilliant success, and, fairest where all
were fair, Harrie Hunsden shone down all competitors. As she floated
down the long ball-room on the arm of Lord Ernest, light as a
swimming-sprite, a hundred admiring male eyes followed, and a hundred
fair patrician bosoms throbbed with bitterest envy.

"The little Hunsden is in full feather to-night," lisped George
Grosvenor, coming up with his adored Lady Louise on his arm. "There is
nothing half so beautiful in the room, with one exception. And only
look at Kingsland! Oh, he's done for, to a dead certainty!"

Sir Everard started up rather confusedly. He had been leaning against
a pillar, gazing after the divinity in the ivy crown, with his heart in
his eyes, and Lady Louise was the last person in the universe he had
been thinking of.

"We are losing our waltz, Mr. Grosvenor," she said, frigidly, "and we
are disturbing Sir Everard Kingsland. The 'Guards' Waltz' is a great
deal too delightful to be missed."

"I fancied the first waltz was to be mine, Lady Louise," Sir Everard
said, with an awful sense of guilt.

Lady Louise's blue eyes flashed fire.

"With Miss Hunsden, perhaps--certainly not with me. Come, Mr.
Grosvenor."

It was the first spiteful shaft Lady Louise had ever condescended to
launch, and she bit her lip angrily an instant after, as George whirled
her away.

"Idiot that I am," she thought, "to show him I can stoop to be
piqued--to show him I can be jealous--to show him I care for him like
this! He will get to fancy I love him next, and he--he has had neither
eyes nor ears for any one else since he saw Harrie Hunsden this
morning."

A sharp, quick pain pierced the pr