l movement now set in towards the
drawing-room, where the band was already installed, and making its
presence known by an inspiriting valse tune. In a few moments twenty,
thirty, forty couples were swaying to the music; Aurelia in her acting
costume was dancing away with Ralph in his red stockings; Carr with the
"heavy mother," and Charles in prosaic evening-dress was flying past
with Evelyn, who, now that she had effaced her beautiful stage
complexion, looked pale and grave as ever.

I suppose it was a capital ball. Every one seemed to enjoy it. I did not
dance myself, but I liked watching the others; and after a time Charles,
who had been dancing indefatigably with two school-room girls with
pigtails, came and flung himself down on the other half of the ottoman
on which I was sitting.

"Three times with each!" he said, in a voice of extreme exhaustion. "No
favoritism. I have done for to-night now."

"What! Are you not going to dance any more?"

"No, not unless Evelyn will give me another turn later, which she
probably won't. There she goes with Lord Breakwater again. How I do
dislike that young man! And look at Carr--valsing with Aurelia! He
seems to be leaping on her feet a good deal, and she looks as if she
were telling him so, does not she? There! they have subsided into the
bay-window. I thought she would not stand it long. He does not dance as
well as he acts. Heigh-ho! Come in to supper with me, Middleton. The
supper-room will be emptier now, and I am dying of hunger. You must be
the same, for you had no regular dinner any more than we had. Come
along. We will get a certain little table for two that I know of, in the
bay-window where I took the fair pigtail just now, to the evident
anxiety of the parental chignon who was at the large table. We will have
a good feed in peace and quietness."

In a few minutes we were established in a quiet nook in the supper-room,
which was now half empty, and were making short work of everything
before us.

"How well Carr acted!" said Charles at last, leaning back, and leisurely
sipping his champagne. "I can think of something besides food now. Did
not you think he acted well?"

"Yes," I said, "but you cut him out."

"Did I!" said Charles, absently, beckoning to some lobster salad which
was passing. "Have some? Do, Middleton. We can but die once. You won't?
Well I will. Have you often seen Carr act before?"

"Never," I said. "I never met him till I came on board the _B