really."

She looked as if she meant it. Albert was sorry, too. This had been
a strange evening, another combination of sweet and sour. He glanced
across the floor and saw Helen and the inevitable Raymond emerge
together from the room where the refreshments were served. Raging
jealousy seized him at the sight. Helen had not been near him, had
scarcely spoken to him since his arrival. He forgot that he had not been
near nor spoken to her.

He danced twice or thrice more with acquaintances, "summer" or
permanent, and then decided to go home. Madeline Fosdick he saw at the
other end of the room surrounded by a group of young masculinity.
Helen he could not see at the moment. He moved in the direction of the
coatroom. Just as he reached the door he was surprised to see Ed Raymond
stride by him, head down and looking anything but joyful. He watched and
was still more astonished to see the young man get his coat and hat from
the attendant and walk out of the hotel. He saw him stride away
along the drive and down the moonlit road. He was, apparently, going
home--going home alone.

He got his own coat and hat and, before putting them on, stepped back
for a final look at the ballroom. As he stood by the cloakroom door
someone touched his arm. Turning he saw Helen.

"Why--why, Helen!" he exclaimed, in surprise.

"Are you going home?" she asked, in a low tone.

"Yes, I--"

"And you are going alone?"

"Yes."

"Would you mind--would it trouble you too much to walk with me as far as
our house?"

"Why--why of course not. I shall be delighted. But I thought you--I
thought Ed Raymond--"

"No, I'm alone. Wait here; I will be ready in just a minute."

She hurried away. He gazed after her in bewilderment. She and he had
scarcely exchanged a word during the evening, and now, when the evening
was almost over, she came and asked him to be her escort. What in the
wide world--?

The minute she had specified had hardly elapsed when she reappeared,
ready for out of doors. She took his arm and they walked down the steps
of the hotel, past the group of lights at the head of the drive and
along the road, with the moon shining down upon it and the damp, salt
breeze from the ocean blowing across it. They walked for the first few
minutes in silence. There were a dozen questions he would have liked to
ask, but his jealous resentment had not entirely vanished and his pride
forbade. It was she who spoke first.

"Albert," she said, "yo