“What about your mother?” said Scott.

Dinah’s bright face clouded again.  “Yes, of course, there’s Mother,” she agreed.

She looked across at Scott as if she would say more; but he passed quietly on.  “Where is your home, Miss Bathurst?”

“Right in the very heart of the Midlands.  It is pretty country, but oh, so dull.  The de Vignes are the rich people of the place.  They belong to the County.  We don’t,” said Dinah, with a sigh.

Scott laughed, and she looked momentarily hurt.

“I don’t see what there is funny in that.  The County people and the shop people are the only ones that get any fun.  It’s horrid to be between the two.”

“Forgive me!” Scott said.  “I quite see your point.  But if you only knew it, the people who call themselves County are often the dullest of the dull.”

“You say that because you belong to them, I expect,” retorted Dinah.  “But if you were me, and lived always under the shadow of the de Vignes, you wouldn’t think it a bit funny.”

“Who are the de Vignes?” asked Isabel suddenly.

Dinah turned to her.  “We are staying here with them, Billy and I. My father persuaded the Colonel to have us.  He knew how dreadfully we wanted to go.  The Colonel is rather good-natured over some things, and he and Dad are friends.  But I don’t think Lady Grace wanted us much.  You see, she and Rose are so very smart.”

“I see,” said Scott.

“Rose has been presented at Court,” pursued Dinah.  “They always go up for the season.  They have a house in town.  We always say that Rose is waiting to marry a marquis; but he hasn’t turned up yet.  You see, she really is much too beautiful to marry an ordinary person, isn’t she?”

“Oh, much,” said Scott.

Dinah heaved another little sigh; then suddenly she laughed.  “But your brother has promised to help me with my skating to-morrow anyhow,” she said.  “So she won’t have him all the time.”

“Perhaps the marquis will come along to-morrow,” suggested Scott.

“I wish he would,” said Dinah, with fervour.

CHAPTER VII

THE BROKEN SPELL

Biddy was in the act of handing round the tea when there came the sound of a step outside, and an impatient hand thrust open the door.

“Hullo, Stumpy!” said a voice.  “Are you here?  What have you done with Miss Bathurst?  She’s engaged to me for the next dance.”  Eustace entered with the words, but stopped short on the threshold.  “Hullo!  You are here!  I thought you had given me the slip.”

Dinah looked up at him with merry eyes.  “So I have—­practically.  I am on my way to bed.”

“Oh, nonsense!” he said, with his easy imperiousness.  “I can’t spare you yet.  I must have one more dance just to soothe my nerves.  I’ve been dancing with a faultless automaton who didn’t understand me in the least.  Now I want the real thing again.”