“You shall not be damaged this time,” she said, and laughed.
Mrs Lawless laughed with her.
“What a valiant champion you make,” she said. “Trust a woman to protect a woman in any serious crisis.”
And then the press suddenly ceased. Julie’s arms fell to her side, and with a further smile of friendship and understanding, Mrs Lawless passed on with her companion.
“Who is that girl?” she inquired as they passed through into the ball-room.
She was not dancing. She had merely come for an hour to look on; and she chose a seat not too far away from the exit, so that she could make her escape without inconvenience as soon as she desired. Van Bleit sat down beside her, and, following his customary tactics, sought by his impressive manner to draw attention to themselves. He was usually a daring wooer, but Mrs Lawless so baffled him that he was forced to resort to more insidious methods.
“The girl who embraced you? ... That’s Miss Julie Weeber... Quite a nice little thing. Not exactly in your set, you know.”
She regarded him strangely.
“And the boy she was with?”
Van Bleit laughed.