“Not allowed!” she observed. “What has that got to do with it? I don’t understand you, Bab; you are totaly changed.”
“I am suffering,” I said. I was to.
Just then the maid brought me a folded note. Hannah was hanging up my wraps, and did not see it. Jane’s eyes fairly bulged.
“I hope you have saved the Cotillion for me,” it said. And it was signed H——!
“Good gracious,” Jane said breathlessly. “Don’t tell me he is here, and that that’s from him!”
I had to swallow twice before I could speak. Then I said, solemnly:
“He is here, Jane. He has followed me. I am going to dance the Cotillion with him although I shall probably be disinherited and thrown out into the World, as a result.”
I have no recollection whatever of going down the staircase and into the ballroom. Although I am considered rather brave, and once saved one of the smaller girls from drowning, as I need not remind the school, when she was skating on thin ice, I was frightened. I remember that, inside the door, Jane said “Courage!” in a low tence voice, and that I stepped on somebody’s foot and said “Certainly” instead of apologizing. The shock of that brought me around somewhat, and I managed to find Mrs. Adams and Elaine, and not disgrace myself. Then somebody at my elbow said:
“All right, Barbara. Everything’s fixed.”
It was Carter.