ore straight down, a full swagger varnishing his malign
triumph. Flora caught her breath as I stood up to accost him.

"Good evening, my cousin! The newspaper told me you were favouring this
city with a stay."

"At Dumbreck's Hotel: where, my dear Anne, you have not yet done me the
pleasure to seek me out."

"I gathered," said I, "that you were forestalling the compliment. Our
meeting, then, is unexpected?"

"Why, no; for, to tell you the truth, the secretary of the Ball
Committee, this afternoon, allowed me a glance over his list of
_invites_. I am apt to be nice about my company, cousin."

Ass that I was! I had never given this obvious danger so much as a
thought.

"I fancy I have seen one of your latest intimates about the street."

He eyed me, and answered, with a bluff laugh, "Ah! You gave us the very
devil of a chase. You appear, my dear Anne, to have a hare's propensity
for running in your tracks. And begad, I don't wonder at it!" he wound
up, ogling Flora with an insolent stare.

Him one might have hunted by scent alone. He reeked of essences.

"Present me, _mon brave_."

"I'll be shot if I do."

"I believe they reserve that privilege for soldiers," he mused.

"At any rate they don't extend it to----" I pulled up on the word. He
had the upper hand, but I could at least play the game out with decency.
"Come," said I, "_contre-danse_ will begin presently. Find yourself a
partner, and I promise you shall be our _vis-a-vis_."

"You have blood in you, my cousin."

He bowed, and went in search of the Master of Ceremonies. I gave an arm
to Flora. "Well, and how does Alain strike you?" I asked.

"He is a handsome man," she allowed. "If your uncle had treated him
differently, I believe----"

"And I believe that no woman alive can distinguish between a gentleman
and a dancing-master! A posture or two, and you interpret worth. My dear
girl--that fellow!"

She was silent. I have since learned why. It seems, if you please, that
the very same remark had been made to her by that idiot Chevenix, upon
me!

We were close to the door: we passed it, and I flung a glance into the
vestibule. There, sure enough, at the head of the stairs, was posted my
friend of the moleskin waistcoat, in talk with a confederate by some
shades uglier than himself, a red-headed, loose-legged scoundrel in
cinder-grey.

I was fairly in the trap. I turned, and between the moving crowd caught
Alain's eye and his evil smile. He had