In a few minutes he was whirling round in a waltz, and the vexation he felt at his cousin's behaviour was well-nigh forgotten. When, in the next dance, another was wanted to make up a set, he suddenly thought of Adrian, and went outside to ask him to come in and join them.
But to his surprise the balcony was empty, every chair was vacant.
"Surely the fellow has not gone home so early as this!" he exclaimed, as he looked over into the garden, trying to descry the red glow of Adrian's cigarette in the evening dusk. But there was nothing to be seen, and nothing to break the silence that had descended upon the garden, and so he surmised that his cousin must have gone home.
As he was returning to the drawing-room he met Mr. Brading and Jack, the latter having come in search of him.
"Here, we want you," he said, seizing him by the arm.
"Have you seen my cousin Adrian?" he asked. "I left him sitting here, and we want him now to make up that set of dancers."
"Never mind, somebody else has come in, and we are waiting for you." And Jack led him to his place, and dancing recommenced.
No one saw anything of Adrian Murray for the rest of the evening, and Arthur scarcely thought of him again. The young people kept their word, and made it a small and early dance, and when the clock struck twelve, Arthur was walking briskly towards home with another school-fellow who lived in the same neighbourhood.
Both agreed that they had had a very good time, and had enjoyed themselves very much. To Arthur the whole thing had been as a draught of wine, encouraging him to persevere in the task he had set himself. He felt more hopeful that he might yet see his sisters and mother once more able to take their proper place in the world, and live as the Bradings lived, beyond the care and anxiety of making ends meet, which had marred all their lives for the past few years.
He found Molly sitting up for him, and when he closed the garden gate she heard the click of the latch, and had the street door open by the time he reached it.