h, I daren't ask! You
are such a great hero to-night!"

"Why, Patsy, will you give me a dance?"

The girl stood gazing at him with eyes that grew misty, the quick
beating of her loyal heart almost suffocating her.

"Oh, Captain Jack," she gasped, "how many?"

Maitland laughed at her, and turned to her sister.

"And you, Adrien, may I have a dance?"

Again Adrien leaned toward him.

"One?" she asked.

"And as many more as you can spare."

"My program is quite empty, you see," she said, flinging out her hands
and laughing joyously into his face.

"What about me? And me? And me?" said the other three men.

"I suppose we are all nowhere to-night," added Rupert, with a touch of
bitterness in his voice.

"Well, there is only one conquering hero, you know," replied Adrien,
smiling at them all.

"Now I must run off," said Maitland. "You see, I am on duty, as it were.
Come down in a few minutes."

"Yes, go, Jack," said Adrien, throwing him a warm smile. "We will follow
you in a few minutes."

"Oh, I am so excited!" said Patricia, as Maitland disappeared down the
stairs. "I mean to dance with every one of the team. I know I am going
to have a perfectly lovely time! But I would give them all up if I could
have Captain Jack all the time."

"Pig," said her sister, smiling at her.

"Wretch," cried Vic, making a face.

But Patricia was quite unabashed. "I am going to have him just as often
as I can," she said, brazenly.

For a few minutes they stood watching the dancers on the floor below. It
was indeed, as Mrs. Templeton had said, a "mixed multitude." Mill
hands and their girls, townsfolk whose social standing was sufficiently
assured to endure the venture. A mixed multitude, but thoroughly jolly,
making up in vigour what was lacking in grace in their exposition of the
Terpsichorean art.

"Rather ghastly," said Rupert, who appeared to be quite disgusted with
the whole evening's proceedings.

"Lovely!" exclaimed Patricia.

"They are enjoying themselves, at any rate," said Adrien, "and, after
all, that is what people dance for."

"Stacks of fun. I am all for it, eh, Pat?" said Vic, making adoring eyes
at the young girl.

But Patricia severely ignored him.

"Oh, Adrien, look!" she cried suddenly. "There is Annette, and who is
the big man with her? Oh, what an awful dancer he is! But Annette, isn't
she wonderful! What a lovely dress! I think she is the most beautiful
thing." And Patricia was right, for