“Yes, indeed.”  Her laughter was continuous.  “I should think you would be glad to get rid of me after that.  Ha, ha, ha!  Poor Mr. Flitcroft, you know you are!”

It was the deadly truth, and the fat one, saying, “Well, if you’ll just excuse me now,” hurried away with a step which grew lighter as the distance from her increased.  Arrived at the haven of a far doorway, he mopped his brow and shook his head grimly in response to frequent rallyings.

Ariel sat through more dances, interminable dances and intermissions, in that same chair, in which, it began to seem, she was to live out the rest of her life.  Now and then, if she thought people were looking at her as they passed, she broke into a laugh and nodded slightly, as if still amused over her mishap.

After a long time she rose, and laughing cheerfully to Mr. Flitcroft, who was standing in the doorway and replied with a wan smile, stepped out quickly into the hall, where she almost ran into her great-uncle, Jonas Tabor.  He was going towards the big front doors with Judge Pike, having just come out of the latter’s library, down the hall.

Jonas was breathing heavily and was shockingly pale, though his eyes were very bright.  He turned his back upon his grandniece sharply and went out of the door.  Ariel turned from him quite as abruptly and re-entered the room whence she had come.  She laughed again to her fat friend as she passed him, and, still laughing, went towards the fatal chair, when her eyes caught sight of Eugene Bantry and Mamie coming in through the window from the porch.  Still laughing, she went to the window and looked out; the porch seemed deserted and was faintly illuminated by a few Japanese lanterns.  She sprang out, dropped upon the divan, and burying her face in her hands, cried heart-brokenly.  Presently she felt something alive touch her foot, and, her breath catching with alarm, she started to rise.  A thin hand, issuing from a shabby sleeve, had stolen out between two of the green tubs and was pressing upon one of her shoes.

“’SH!” said Joe.  “Don’t make a noise!”

His warning was not needed; she had recognized the hand and sleeve instantly.  She dropped back with a low sound which would have been hysterical if it had been louder, while he raised himself on his arm until she could see his face dimly, as he peered at her between the palms.

“What were you going on about?” he asked, angrily.

“Nothing,” she answered.  “I wasn’t.  You must go away, and quick.  It’s too dangerous.  If the Judge found you—­”

“He won’t!”

“Ah, you’d risk anything to see Mamie Pike—­”

“What were you crying about?” he interrupted.

“Nothing, I tell you!” she repeated, the tears not ceasing to gather in her eyes.  “I wasn’t.”

“I want to know what it was,” he insisted.  “Didn’t the fools ask you to dance?  Ah!  You needn’t tell me.  That’s it.  I’ve been here for the last three dances and you weren’t in sight till you came to the window.  Well, what do you care about that for?”