"I've done all I can," he muttered disconsolately. "He's bent on going to the devil via Mrs. Veilsturm, so I can't stop him. If I only dared to console his wife, but she's got the boy--that's consolation enough for a piece of ice like her."
Meanwhile, Errington, pushing his way through the dancers, made his way to Cleopatra, who, having finished with Griff, was chatting to a young F.O. man. On seeing Errington, she turned towards him with a slight bow, and began to talk, upon which the F.O. went off to find some one else.
"Are you not dancing, Sir Guy?" she asked, looking at him brightly.
"No, I don't care about it, unless you dance with me."
"And what about my duties as hostess?"
"I think you've done enough penance for one evening."
"Meaning that my reward is to dance with you," she said mischievously. "Thank you, Monsieur."
She was more amiable to him this evening than she had been of late. And Guy, feeling the change, thawed wonderfully under the sunshine of her eyes.
"Well, am I to have my dance?" he asked, with a smile.
Cleopatra took up her programme and ran her eyes over the series of scratches which did duty for names opposite the dances.