diately pounced upon--first, by Ella
Buller.

"Why, Flora," at the top of her voice, "where have you been all these
days!" Then in a hot whisper, "Did you speak to her? It hasn't done one
bit of good."

"I think you are mistaken," Flora murmured. "But be careful, and let me
know--" She had only time for that broken sentence before she was
surrounded; and other voices took up the chorus.

She was getting to be a perfect hermit.

She was forgetting all her old friends.

And a less kindly voice in the background added, "Yes, for new ones."

She realized with some alarm that though she had forgotten her public,
it had kept its eye on her. She answered, laughing, that she was keeping
Lent early, and allowed herself to be drifted about through the crowd
by more or less entertaining people, now and then getting glimpses of
Harry, tracking him by his burnished brown head, waiting her opportunity
to get him cornered. At last she saw him making for the smoking-room.
Connecting this with the drawing-room where she stood was a small red
lounging-room, walls, floor and furniture all covered with crimson
velvet. It had a third door which communicated indirectly with the
reception-rooms, by means of a little hall. She was near that hall, and
it would be the work of a moment to slip by way of it into the red room
and stop Harry on his way through. She had not played at such a game
since, as a child, she had jumped out on people from dark closets, and
Harry was as much astonished as she could remember they had been. He was
cutting the end of a cigar and he all but dropped it.

"What in the world are you doing here alone?" He spoke peevishly. "I
don't see how a crowd of men can leave such a bundle of fascination at
large!"

She made him a low courtesy and said she was preventing him from doing
so.

"It's very good of you, and you are very pretty, Flora," he admitted
with a grudging smile, "but I've got to see a man in there." His eyes
went to the door of the smoking-room whence was audible a discussion of
voices, and among them Judge Buller's basso. She was between Harry and
the door. Laughingly, he made as if to put her aside, when the door
through which she had entered opened again sharply; and Kerr came in.

"Forgive me. I followed you," he began. Then he saw Harry.
"I--ha--ha--I've been hunting for you, Cressy, all the evening!"

[Illustration: "FORGIVE ME, I FOLLOWED YOU."]

Harry accepted the statement with a cynical