t, fan and all. You must be a favourite of
his!"

"Come, let us proceed," I answered, with some abruptness. "We are
losing time."

In a few seconds more we entered the ballroom, and were met at once by
Madame Didier, who, resplendent in black lace and diamonds, gave us
hearty greeting. She stared at me with unaffected amazement.

"Mon dieu!" she exclaimed--her conversation with us was always a
mixture of French and broken English--"I should not 'ave know zis young
lady again! She 'ave si bonne mine. You veel dance, sans doute?"

We readily assented, and the usual assortment of dancing-men of all
ages and sizes was brought forward for our inspection; while the
Colonel, being introduced to a beaming English girl of some seventeen
summers, whirled her at once into the merry maze of dancers, who were
spinning easily round to the lively melody of one of Strauss's most
fascinating waltzes. Presently I also found myself circling the room
with an amiable young German, who ambled round with a certain amount of
cleverness, considering that he was evidently ignorant of the actual
waltz step; and I caught a glimpse now and then of Amy's rubies as they
flashed past me in the dance--she was footing it merrily with a
handsome Austrian Hussar. The room was pleasantly full--not too crowded
for the movements of the dancers; and the whole scene was exceedingly
pretty and animated. I had no lack of partners, and I was surprised to
find myself so keenly alive to enjoyment, and so completely free from
my usual preoccupied condition of nervous misery I looked everywhere
for Raffaello Cellini, but he was not to be seen. The lilies that I
wore, which he had sent me, seemed quite unaffected by the heat and
glare of the gaslight--not a leaf drooped, not a petal withered; and
their remarkable whiteness and fragrance elicited many admiring remarks
from those with whom I conversed. It was growing very late; there were
only two more waltzes before the final cotillon. I was standing near
the large open window of the ballroom, conversing with one of my recent
partners, when a sudden inexplicable thrill shot through me from head
to foot. Instinctively I turned, and saw Cellini approaching. He looked
remarkably handsome, though his face was pale and somewhat wearied in
expression. He was laughing and conversing gaily with two ladies, one
of whom was Mrs. Everard; and as he came towards me he bowed
courteously, saying:

"I am too much honoured by th