Part 18 (1/2)

She felt the thrust in a moment, and went white, conscious of the weak sick feeling that so often came over her at the sound of her mother's step when she was in disgrace.

He saw her distress, but he allowed several moments to elapse before he came to the rescue; Then lightly, ”Pray don't let the matter disturb you!” he said. ”Only--for your peace of mind--let me tell you that you really have nothing to fear. Out here we live in fairyland, and no one is in earnest. We just enjoy ourselves, and Mrs. Grundy simply doesn't exist. We are not ashamed of being frivolous, and we do whatever we like.

And there are no consequences. Always remember that, Miss Bathurst! There are never any consequences in fairyland.”

His eyes suddenly laughed at her, and Dinah was vastly rea.s.sured. Her dismay vanished, leaving a blithe sense of irresponsibility in its place.

”I shall remember that,” she said, with her gay little nod. ”I dreamt last night that we were in Olympus.”

”We?” he said softly.

She nodded again, flushed and laughing, confident that she had received her cue. ”And you--were Apollo.”

She saw his eyes change magically, flas.h.i.+ng into swift life, and dropped her own before the mastery that dawned there.

”And you,” he questioned under his breath, ”were Daphne?”

”Perhaps,” she said enigmatically. After all, flirting was not such a difficult art, and since he had declared that there could be no consequences, she did not see why she should bury this new-found talent of hers.

”What a charming dream!” he commented lazily. ”But you know what happened to Daphne when she ran away, don't you?”

She flung him a laughing challenge. ”He didn't catch her anyway.”

”True!” smiled Sir Eustace. ”But have you never wondered whether it wouldn't have been more sport for her if he had? It wouldn't be very exciting, you know, to lead the life of a vegetable.”

”It isn't!” declared Dinah, with abrupt sincerity.

”Oh, you know something about it, do you?” he said. ”Then the modern Daphne ought to have too much sense to run away.”

She laughed with a touch of wistfulness. ”I wonder how she felt about it afterwards.”

”I wonder,” he agreed, tipping the ash off his cigarette. ”It didn't matter so much to Apollo, you see. He had plenty to choose from.”

Dinah's wistfulness vanished in a swift breath of indignation. ”Really!”

she said.

He looked at her. ”Yes, really,” he told her, with deliberation. ”And he didn't need to run after them either. But, possibly,” his gaze softened again, ”possibly that was what made him want Daphne the most. Elusiveness is quite a fascinating quality if it isn't carried too far. Still--” he smiled--”I expect he got over it in the end, you know; but in her case I am not quite so sure.”

”I don't suppose he did get ever it,” maintained Dinah with spirit. ”All the rest must have seemed very cheap afterwards.”

”Perhaps he was more at home with the cheap variety,” he suggested carelessly.

His eyes had wandered to the buzzing throng behind her, and she saw a glint of criticism--or was it merely easy contempt?--dispel the smile with which he had regarded her. His mouth wore a faint but unmistakable sneer.

But in a moment his look returned to her, kindled upon her. ”Are you for the ice carnival to-night?” he asked.

She drew a quick, eager breath. ”Oh, I do want to come! But I don't know--yet--if I shall be allowed.”

”Why ask?” he questioned.

She hesitated, then ingenuously she told him her difficulty. ”I got into trouble last night for dancing so late with you. And--and--I may be sent to bed early to make up for it.”