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ostentatiouslyamiabletoher。Afterwardsshesawhimdancing，talking，beingpresentedtopeople，being，withatactfuleasiness，takencareofbyhishostandhostess，andLordWestholt。Shewasstruckbythegracefulmagicwithwhichthistactfuleasesurroundedhimwithoutanyobviousness。TheDunholmshadgivenalead，asLadyAlanbyhadsaid，andtherestwerefollowingitandignoringintervalswithreposefulreadiness。Itwaswonderfullywelldone。
Apparentlytherehadbeennopastatall。Allbeganwiththislargeyoungman，who，despitehisVikingtype，reallylookedparticularlywellineveningdress。LadyAlanbyheldhimbyherchairforsometime，openlyenjoyinghertalkwithhim，andcallingupTommy，thattheymightmakefriends。
Afterawhile，Bettysaidtoherself，hewouldcomeandaskforadance。Buthedidnotcome，andshedancedwithonemanafteranother。Westholtcametoherseveraltimesandhadmoredancesthanone。Whydidtheothernotcome？Severaltimestheywhirledpasteachother，andwhenitoccurredtheylooked——bothfeelingitanaccident——intoeachother’seyes。
Thestrongandstrangething——thatwhichmovesonitswayasdobirthanddeath，andtherisingandsettingofthesun——
hadbeguntomoveinthem。Itwasnonewandrarething，butanancientandcommonone——ascommonandancientasdeathandbirththemselves；andpartofthelawastheyare。Asitcomestoroyalpersonstowhomonemakesobeisanceattheirmerepassingby，asitcomestoscullerymaidsinroyalkitchens，andgroomsinroyalstables，asitcomestoladies—in—waitingandthewomenwhoservethem，soithadcometothesetwowhohadbeendrawnneartoeachotherfromtheoppositesidesoftheearth，andeachstartedatthetouchofit，andwithdrewapaceinbewilderment，andsomefear。
"Iwish，"MountDunstanwasfeelingthroughouttheevening，"thathereyeshadsomefaultintheirexpression——thattheydrewoneless——thattheydrewMEless。Iamlosingmyhead。"
"Itwouldbebetter，"Bettythought，"ifIdidnotwishsomuchthathewouldcomeandaskmetodancewithhim——
thathewouldnotkeepawayso。Heiskeepingawayforareason。Whyishedoingit？"
Themusicswungoninlovelymeasures，andthedancersswungwithit。SirNigelwalkeddutifullythroughtheLancersoncewithhiswife，andoncewithhisbeautifulsister—in—law。
LadyAnstruthers，inhernewbloom，hadnotlackedpartners，whodiscoveredthatshewasachildishlylightcreaturewhodancedextremelywell。Everyonewaskindtoher，andtheverygrandoldladies，whoadmiredBetty，wereabsolutelybenignintheirmanner。Betty’spartnerspaidingenuouscourttoher，andSirNigelfoundhehadnotbeenmistakeninhisestimateofthedignityhispositionofescortandmalerelationgavetohim。
Rosy，standingforamomentlookingoutonthebrilliancyandstateabouther，meetingBetty’seyes，laughedquiveringly。
"Iaminadream，"shesaid。
"Youhaveawakenedfromadream，"Bettyanswered。
Fromtheoppositesideoftheroomsomeonewascomingtowardsthem，and，seeinghim，Rosysmiledinwelcome。
"IamsureLordMountDunstaniscomingtoaskyoutodancewithhim，"shesaid。"Whyhaveyounotdancedwithhimbefore，Betty？"
"Hehasnotaskedme，"Bettyanswered。"Thatistheonlyreason。"
"LordDunholmandLordWestholtcalledattheMountafewdaysaftertheymethimatStornham，"Rosalieexplainedinanundertone。"Theywantedtoknowhim。Thenitseemstheyfoundtheylikedeachother。LadyDunholmhasbeentellingmeaboutit。ShesaysLordDunholmthanksyou，becauseyousaidsomethingilluminating。Thatwasthewordsheused——`illuminating。’Ibelieveyouarealwaysilluminating，Betty。"
MountDunstanwascertainlycomingtothem。Howbroadhisshoulderslookedinhisclose—fittingblackcoat，howwellbuilthiswholestrongbodywas，andhowsteadilyheheldhiseyes！Hereandthereoneseesamanorwomanwhois，throughsometrickoffate，bynatureacompellingthingunconsciouslydemandingthatoneshouldsubmittosomedomineeringattraction。
Onedoesnotcallitdomineering，butitisso。Thisspecialcreatureischargedunfairlywithmorethanhisorhersingleshareofforce。BettyVanderpoelthoughtthisoutasthis"otherone"cametoher。Hedidnotusetheballroomformulawhenhespoketoher。Hesaidinratheralowvoice：
"Willyoudancewithme？"
"Yes，"sheanswered。
LordDunholmandhiswifeagreedafterwardsthatsonoticeableapairhadneverbeforedancedtogetherintheirballroom。
Certainlynopairhadeverbeenwatchedwithquitethesameinterestedcuriosity。Someonlookersthoughtitsingularthattheyshoulddancetogetheratall，somepleasedthemselvesbyreflectingonthefactthatnoothertwocouldhaverepresentedwithsuchpicturesquenesstheoppositepolesoffateandcircumstance。Nooneattemptedtodenythattheywereanextraordinarilystriking—lookingcouple，andthatone’seyesfollowedtheminspiteofone’sself。
"Takentogethertheyproduceaneffectthatissomehowratheramazing，"oldLadyAlanbycommented。"Heisamagnificentlybuiltman，youknow，andsheisamagnificentlybuiltgirl。Everybodyshouldlooklikethat。MyimpressionwouldbethatAdamandEvedid，butforthefactthatneitherofthemhadanyparticularcharacter。Thataffairoftheapplewassosilly。Evehasalwaysstruckmeasbeingthekindofwomanwho，ifshelivedto—day，wouldrunupstupidbillsatherdressmakersandbeafraidtotellherhusband。ThatwonderfulblackheadofMissVanderpoel’slooksverynicepoisednearMountDunstan’sdarkredone。"
"Iamgladtobedancingwithhim，"Bettywasthinking。
"Iamgladtobenearhim。"
"Willyoudancethiswithmetotheveryend，"askedMountDunstan——"totheverylatenote？"
"Yes，"answeredBetty。
Hehadspokeninalowbutlevelvoice——thekindofvoicewhosetoneplacesamanandwomanalonetogether，andwhollyapartfromallothersbywhomsoevertheyaresurrounded。
Therehadbeennopreliminaryspeechandnoexplanationoftherequestfollowed。Themusicwasaperfectthing，thebrilliant，loftyballroom，thebeautyofcolourandsoundaboutthem，thejewelsandfairfaces，thewarmbreathofflowersintheair，theverysenseofroyalpresenceanditsaccompanyingstateandceremony，seemedmerelyanaturallyarrangedbackgroundforthestrangeconsciousnesseachheldcloseandsilently——knowingnothingofthemindoftheother。
Thiswaswhatwaspassingthroughtheman’smind。
"Thisisthethingwhichmostmenexperienceseveraltimesduringtheirlives。Itwouldbereasonenoughforallthegreatdeedsandallthecrimesonehearsof。Itisanenormouskindofanguishandafearfulkindofjoy。Itisscarcelytobeborne，andyet，atthismoment，Icouldkillmyselfandher，atthethoughtoflosingit。IfIhadbegunearlier，wouldithavebeeneasier？No，itwouldnot。Withmeitisboundtogohard。AttwentyIshouldprobablynothavebeenabletokeepmyselffromshoutingitaloud，andIshouldnothaveknownthatitwasonlytheworkingoftheLaw。`Only！’GoodGod，whatafoolIam！ItisbecauseitisonlytheLawthatIcannotescape，andmustgoontotheend，grindingmyteethtogetherbecauseIcannotspeak。Oh，hersmoothyoungcheek！
Oh，thedeepshadowsofherlashes！Andwhileweswayroundandroundtogether，Iholdherslimstrongbodyinthehollowofmyarm。"
Itwas，quitepossibly，ashethoughtthisthatNigelAnstruthers，followinghimwithhiseyesashepassed，begantofrown。Hehadbeenwatchingthepairasothershad，hehadseenwhatotherssaw，andnowhehadanideathathesawsomethingmore，anditwassomethingwhichdidnotpleasehim。
Theinstinctofthemalebestirreditself——thecuriousinstinctofresentmentagainstanotherman——anyotherman。And，inthiscase，MountDunstanwasnotanyotherman，butoneforwhomhisantipathywaspersonal。
"Iwon’thavethat，"hesaidtohimself。"Iwon’thaveit。"……
Themusicroseandswelled，andthensankintosoftbreathing，astheymovedinharmonytogether，glidingandswirlingastheythreadedtheirwayamongothercoupleswhoswirledandglidedalso，someofthemlightandsm
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