iness, or for the first time recognized what he had missed;
whether the presence of his Grace of Borthwicke in such devoted
attendance upon Nancy roused his jealousy, none could know, but he
seemed to throw obligations to the wind, and bore himself as one who
has a mind to drink his fill of present pleasure, no matter how
extortionate the reckoning may be.

So it fell that from the first word spoken between Nancy and Danvers it
was he who, by sheer recklessness, took the upper hand with her, the
duke being pushed back, as it were, upon Sir Patrick or myself for
company.

"I did not think to forget any of your loveliness, Miss Stair," Danvers
said as Nancy's hand met his, "but I find I had; or mayhap you've added
to it during my absence. A thing which I had held to be impossible."

"'Tis in France we learn such speeches," Nancy answered, lifting her
brows.

"Wherever you are such speeches would be the natural talk," Danvers
replied, and though he used a jesting tone in the words, his passion
for her was so inflamed that the impression of the words was of great
earnestness, and we--at least I speak for myself--were given a feeling
of looking at love-making not intended for our eyes.

The entire evening was a most uncomfortable time, filled for me with
fear of coming trouble as I noted Sandy's knit brows and his efforts to
keep Isabel from the dancing-room where Nancy and Danvers were walking
together through one quadrille after another, until the gossip of the
town was like to take hold of the matter. It was a curious thing that
in my anxiety I should turn for help against Danvers to the duke
himself.

"Your grace," I said, trying to keep the tone a merry one, "you are
neglecting the lady you escorted here to-night, are you not?" and he
laughed in a dry way before he answered:

"In faith I think that it is the lady who is neglecting me. I'll stop
it," he added. There was no "perhaps" or "if possible" in his tone.

"It would be best, I think, for all concerned," I answered at a sight
of Isabel's pale face and Sandy's anxious eyes.

Upon the instant Montrose started toward the place where Nancy stood, a
little apart from a group of gay people, so that her talk with Danvers
could be in the nature of a private one, if desired. As the duke made
his way toward her I followed a little in the rear. He was, as always,
smiling, calm, master of himself and of others, and as he came toward
her he asked, in a low tone of pe