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A score of ladies, one treading in the footsteps of another, should have

passed beneath the flashing swords But there had thrust itself into their

coreen taffeta and a matron in

silver brocade, bethonantly

stepped out of line and declined to dance The fear of infection spreading

like wildfire, the ranks refused to close, and the coreen, by nature a leader of her kind,

walked aith a toss of her head, from the huddle of those ere

uncertain what to do, and joined her friends a the spectators, who

received her with acclaih

for the cohort she had quitted A moment, and it was in virtuous retreat,

and the dance was broken up

The gentlemen, who saw themselves suhed; another, floine, gave utterance to

some coarse pleasantry; a third called to the musicians to stop the music

Darden's Audrey stood alone, brave in her beautiful borrowed dress and the

color that could not leave her cheeks But her lips had whitened, the

sone, and her eyes were like those of a hunted deer She looked

mutely about her: how could she understand, who trusted so completely, who

lived in a labyrinth without a clue, who had built her drearess for herself? These were cruel

people! She was