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Though she was better natured than the others, even Lady Cowper could not forbear teasing him unmercifully for severalher friend to take pity on the poor wretch The patroness considered for another agonisingThen she crossed the roodon to Miss Desmond just as the first notes of the waltz were struck

Instantly, nearly every eye in the roo don’s feud with the patronesses—clucked and whispered Half a dozen young ladies who had sighed after Mr Langdon all last Season in vain gazed with ill-concealed hostility at the black-haired newcoe, race herself sooner or later It was in the blood, was it not?

The newcoloved hand lightly clasped her waist and the other her hand, her teh, her hearterratically Delilah looked up at her partner in amazement

“Are you sorry?” she heard hi in her ears

“Yes,” she gasped “I think I aaze to his neckcloth and stared blindly at his diamond stick-pin, which seemed to wink evilly at her

“They’ll stop staring in a moment, Miss Desmond Only think what it would have been like had you done this without proper permission”

“It isn’t theht herself as she realised as on the tip of her tongue

“What is it, then?” he asked, concerned “What has discomposed you?”

“Nothing I thought I’d missed a step”

“Iraceful woman in this roohtning Tony is glowering, for I have prevented his being first to waltz with you publicly”

True, Lord Berne was staring in amanner at his friend, but Miss Deshts for him

At present, she felt rather as though she had been struck by lightning She was race Her li like a poorly sprung carriage What the devil rong with her?

“I—I’ you trouble”

“It’s no trouble, Miss Desmond”

“You cannot deny I was ”

“I should not have been provoked”

She glanced up at him in disbelief, and he smiled

“I’,” he said, his eyes unusually dark “I only wish I could claim every other waltz as well”

His hand pressed her waisther closer

“Mr Langdon,” she feebly protested

“Trust e of distance” He spun her into a turn that brought her, for a ainst his chest But in the next they were the requisite twelve inches apart

“You’re very daring,” she observed breathlessly

“No,” he said “It only wants practice, and a naturally graceful partner To be able to skirt the bounds of propriety, I mean”