“Don’t forget I come next but one, Miss Deane,” said Lacey.
“Oh, no; I will not forget,” she replied, with a pleasant smile.
“Will you attend to me, and take—off—your—cap, sir?” came sharply from behind Dick, who started, coloured, and snatched off his cap, conscious now that the bandmaster was speaking to him, and the words had been heard by Mark Frayne and his partner, to whom Mark made some playful remark, at which she smiled, as they both gazed at the young bandsman.
Then, as Dick’s eyes met his cousin’s with an angry stare, the latter’s countenance changed, and he gave an involuntary start, but tossed his head in a contemptuous manner the next moment as he passed on, bending down to say something to the lady.
Then tap—tap—tap went Wilkins’ baton, the band played a short introduction, and then glided off into one of Waldteuffel’s waltzes; and, as Dick played, the cold perspiration stood out upon his forehead, while his eyes followed the couple as they went on down one side of the long mess-room, passed across, and then easily and gracefully swung round and round as they approached. Once they were quite close, and then passed him so near that he could have stretched out his hand, leaned forward, and touched Mark Frayne, who, however, never once lifted his eyes all through the dance, evidently forgetful, in his efforts to make himself agreeable, of the countenance which had given him so sudden a shock.
For, after he had started on the waltz, he had dismissed the idea with one word—
“Absurd!”