‘Your friend Miss Scully seems to be in high spirits.’

Violet exchanged smiles with Alice as she passed.  The smile was one of triumph.  She had waltzed three times with the Marquis, and was now going to sit out a set of quadrilles.

‘What a beautiful waltz the Blue Danube is!’ she said, leading her admirer to where the blue fans were numerous.  Upon the glistening piano stood a pot filled with white azaleas; and, in the pauses of the conversation, one heard the glass of the chandeliers tinkling gently to the vibration of the music.

‘It is a beautiful waltz when I am dancing it with you.’

‘I am sure you say that to every girl you dance with.’

‘No, I shouldn’t know how to say so to anyone but you,’ said the little man humbly; and so instinct were the words with truth that the girl, in the violence of her emotion, fancied her heart had ceased to beat.

‘But you haven’t known me a fortnight,’ she answered involuntarily.

’But that doesn’t matter; the moment I saw you, I—­I—­liked you.  It is so easy to know the people we—­like; we know it at once—­at least I do.’

She was more self-possessed than he, but the words ’Am I—­am I going to be a marchioness?’ throbbed like a burning bullet sunk into the very centre of her forehead.  And to maintain her mental equipoise she was forced, though by doing so she felt she was jeopardizing her chances, to coquette with him.  After a long silence she said: 

’Oh, do you think we know at first sight the people we like?  Do you believe in first impressions?’

’My first and last impressions of you are always the same.  All I know is that when you are present all things are bright, beautiful, and cheering, and when you are away I don’t much care what happens.  Now, these Castle balls used to bore me to death last year; I used to go into a back room and fall asleep.  But this year I am as lively as a kitten—­I think I could go on for ever, and the Castle seems to me the most glorious place on earth.  I used to hate it; I was as bad as Parnell, but not for the same reasons, of course.  Now I am only afraid he will have his way, and they’ll shut the whole place up.  Anyhow, even if they do, I shall always look back upon this season as a very happy time.’

’But you do not really think that Parnell will be allowed to have his way?’ said Violet inadvertently.

’I don’t know; I don’t take much interest in politics, but I believe things are going to the bad.  Dublin, they say, is undermined with secret societies, and the murder that was committed the other day in Sackville Street was the punishment they inflict on those whom they suspect of being informers, even remotely.’

’But don’t you think the Government will soon be obliged to step in and put an end to all this kind of thing?’

’I don’t know; I’m afraid they’ll do nothing until we landlords are all ruined.’