“I must find the best way.  Not to-morrow.  Nobody must know, Nell—­for your sake—­for hers—­nobody!”

She nodded, and repeated with a soft, mysterious wisdom:  “Nobody.”  And then, aloud:  “Here’s Oliver!  It was awfully good of you to come.  Good-night!”

And as, on Oliver’s arm, she left their little refuge, she looked back.

He lingered—­to watch her through this one dance.  How they made all the other couples sink into insignificance, with that something in them both that was better than mere good looks—­that something not outre or eccentric, but poignant, wayward.  They went well together, those two Dromores—­his dark head and her fair head; his clear, brown, daring eyes, and her grey, languorous, mesmeric eyes.  Ah!  Master Oliver was happy now, with her so close to him!  It was not jealousy that Lennan felt.  Not quite—­one did not feel jealous of the young; something very deep—­pride, sense of proportion, who knew what—­prevented that.  She, too, looked happy, as if her soul were dancing, vibrating with the music and the scent of the flowers.  He waited for her to come round once more, to get for a last time that flying glance turned back; then found his coat and hat and went.

XIII

Outside, he walked a few steps, then stood looking back at the windows of the hall through some trees, the shadows of whose trunks, in the light of a street lamp, were spilled out along the ground like the splines of a fan.  A church clock struck eleven.  For hours yet she would be there, going round and round in the arms of Youth!  Try as he might he could never recapture for himself the look that Oliver’s face had worn—­the look that was the symbol of so much more than he himself could give her.  Why had she come into his life—­to her undoing, and his own?  And the bizarre thought came to him:  If she were dead should I really care?  Should I not be almost glad?  If she were dead her witchery would be dead, and I could stand up straight again and look people in the face!  What was this power that played with men, darted into them, twisted their hearts to rags; this power that had looked through her eyes when she put her fan, with his flowers, to her lips?

The thrumming of the music ceased; he walked away.

It must have been nearly twelve when he reached home.  Now, once more, would begin the gruesome process of deception—­flinching of soul, and brazening of visage.  It would be better when the whole thievish business was irretrievably begun and ordered in its secret courses!

There was no light in the drawing-room, save just the glow of the fire.  If only Sylvia might have gone to bed!  Then he saw her, sitting motionless out there by the uncurtained window.

He went over to her, and began his hateful formula: 

“I’m afraid you’ve been lonely.  I had to stay rather late.  A dull evening.”  And, since she did not move or answer, but just sat there very still and white, he forced himself to go close, bend down to her, touch her cheek; even to kneel beside her.  She looked round then; her face was quiet enough, but her eyes were strangely eager.  With a pitiful little smile she broke out: