"He was in the army—I always suspected that; he looked as if he had been drilled. He was turned out, cashiered for something disgraceful about racing; and as to his flirtations, we can imagine them, from the way he is behaving himself to-night! He has danced every dance with Mrs. Durand, though I will say this, she asked him; and, of course, it was because she came back, that he changed his mind about the ball."
"Now your dress will do, I think," said Helen, rising from her knees with rather a choking sensation in her throat.
"Oh, thanks awfully, you dear girl!" pirouetting as she spoke. "I'll do as much for you another time; there's a dance beginning, and I must go!" and she hurried off.
In the doorway Helen came face to face with Mr. Lisle, who was apparently searching for some one—for her!
She held up her chin, and, with one cool glance, was about to pass by, when he said, rather eagerly,—
"Miss Denis, I was looking for you. Malone has been sent for to barracks, and he said that I might ask you to give me his dance—the next—the last."
Helen fully intended to decline the pleasure, but something in Mr. Lisle's face compelled her to say "Yes," and without a word more, she placed her hand upon his arm; they walked into the ball-room, and immediately commenced to waltz; this waltz was "Soldate Lieder." Her present partner was very superior to Jim Quentin, and she found that she could go on much longer with him without stopping, keeping up one even, delightful pace; but at last she was obliged to lean against the wall—completely out of breath. Her eyes, as she did so, followed Mrs. Durand enviously, and she exclaimed,—
"I wish I could dance like her." Now, had she breathed this aspiration to Mr. Quentin or Dr. Malone, they would have assured her that her dancing was already perfection, but Mr. Lisle frankly replied,—
"Oh, all you want is practice; you must remember that she has been at it for years. We used to dance together at children's parties,—I won't say how long ago."
"I know I dance badly," said Helen, colouring; "but the reason of that is that, although I danced a great deal at school, it was always as gentleman, because I was tall."