The gay colors, the glad music, the circling couples—were all cheerful until the music stopped with a sudden crash, and played a loud, joyous chord.
The orchestra leader pointed his long wand in Guy's direction, and from the maze of dancers there came a youthful figure, running.
"Elanane!" she called. "Oh, Elanane!"
He heard the whisper "—the lanee's sister—" and nothing registered save that this girl must be the sister of the elected governor of Ertene. He didn't know her, which he thought to be a shame since she appealed to his sense of appreciation as few other women ever had. He probably never would know her.
"Elanane!" she called as she approached her brother, who must be near Guy. He looked around to see who he might be—and when he looked back at her to get another "fix" on the line of her sight, to better follow her intended course, he found himself hurled back three steps as the girl ran, without stopping, right into him.
She hurled herself at Guy hungrily, and hugged him until he felt his ribs complaining.
He grunted, and she stepped back to inspect him. "I knew you wouldn't miss it," she said. She was deliriously happy and went right on talking with the appearance of one who has had no one to talk to for several years. "I was worried—you worried me, Elanane. I actually thought you'd miss your sister's graduation, and I'll only graduate once. But you didn't."
Guy took the wise course. He said nothing. A protestation would have caused comment and questioning as to his real identity. An acceptance of the masquerade would set him up even afterwards as a liar and an open fake. He decided to brazen it out and hope for an opening that would permit him to get away without exciting more comment.
He wondered what her name was. A man should know his own sister's name.
"—ill, they told me. Unable to visit me. Elanane, you look the soul of health!"