The Lamp of Fate
e elect had been bidden was over, and now those who had been invited to the less exc
han those of her godmother and the Duchess of Lichbrooke-the former's half sister. So, in this respect, Lady Arabella enjoyed almost a monopoly, and such occasions as the present were enthusiastically sought after by her friends and acquaintances. Later, when the artistes had concluded their p
such strange chance and who had so deliberately gone out of it again. By the very manner of his going he had succeeded in imp
amentally. She was the "type of woman he hated!" Night and day that curt lit
that, his departure from England had left her conscious of an insistent and unaccountable little ache. The knowledge that there could be no more chance meetings,
turning for approval to Gillian, who was in attendance in her capa
ou expect her to look anything else by the time you
man seriously. "Mademoiselle cannot help but be beaut
as," assented G
eside her rang imperatively and she lifted the receiver. Magda,
. . He's ill
t it. Two hours ago they had le
r the doctor. It's croup. Oh!"-despairingly, and letting the receiv
o dance floating cloudily about her as she moved. She picked up the receiv
f course. As quickly as the car can take you. Virginie"-
ked at her
't go! I can't leave you!" Her voice
comforting arm r
's your coat"-lifting it up from the back of the
illian allowed herself to be helped into
our dance, Magda?
hook he
gly. "Don't worry, Gillyflower. You've forgo
can't ask him to play for you! You'd hate asking him a
d at her re
her voice which few people ever heard. "My dear, I'm not going
iserable face just as Virginie reappeared in th
k, would you like to t
quite all right. Oh, Magda!"-impulsively drawing the sle
hed a trif
, Gillyflower. Remember they've got a doctor there. And 'phone me presently about Coppertop
flung a loose wrap over her diaphan
sieur Davilof
hrough the doorway as I came from or
lo
d eloquently. "He smokes a cigarett
he hall by way of an unfrequented passage and sli
toi
vilof, who had been standing
tly. "You!" And then remai
she said chidingly. "Why are you so star
sed leaving the house the
aughed
e, Antoine?" sh
is hands, hanging at his
few steps towar
quietly. "Will you p
d at her
repeated. "But yo
accompany me
" His voice held
ill you
u the last time we met? That I
she must ask it, nevertheless. For Gillian's sake; for the sake of poor little Coppertop fighting for breath and with no "mummie" at hand to help and comfort him; and for the sake of Lady Arabella, to
n response to Davilof'
mber," she s
l ask me to p
ll ask
of la
supposing I reply b
won't," d
g of cruelty in their hazel
ntrary-I d
. It was going to be more diff
who can play for me as
Because no one lo
e little thing I ask?" she retorted. "It is not often that I as
l that, in view of all that had passed between them in the Mirror Room, it must have bee
lung him that contemptuous command: "I shall want you to-morrow, Davilof!-same time." He had unveiled his very soul before her-and in return she
uld have asked what you liked of me. But you showed me once-very clearly-that in your eyes I was
y y
money"-with
ou mean?" Her face h
r on there is a dance. G
upsettingly vehement order of his passion for her that day in the Mirror Room had frightened her not a little. There was something stormy and
to the flame. And if she promised to dance with Davilof she must let him hold her in his arms, risk that dangerous proximity which,
on her self-communings. "Ha
ide, and decide quickly. She
uickly. "I will danc
bow
e said ironically. "I shall be cha
well-dressed crowd which had sat in enthralled silence while the Wie
f the dancing floor. In the twinkling of an eye, as it were, they transformed what had been to all intents and purposes a concert-hall into a flower-decked ballroom, whi
elusive, from which her flower-pale face and shoulders emerged like a water-lily starring the dark pool on which it floats. A crimson rose
. A 'phone message from Friars' Holm had come through saying that Coppertop was better. All danger was passed and th
threw a quick, nervous glance in the direction of the motionless figure, thinking it might be Davilof himself. It would be like his eager impatience to await her
at Quarrington was to be at her godmother's reception. The sudden, totally unexpected meeting with him-with this man who had contrived to dominate her thoughts so inex
on of utter helplessness to save herself; then Michael's arms c
oment. She lay against his breast like a te
murmured soothingly
is cheek as she fell; the pale, exquisite face and warm white throat lay close beneath his lips-all
rd, squaring his shoulders, and released her, thoug
ght," he said reassuri
words helped to
ill. "I-I don't know how I came to fall like that. I
o be," he returned
nough for her that he was there-that he had not gone away! She was
be standing just at the foot of the s
alice prepense"-the familiar crooked
ing f
the supper-room and see that you had a glass of ch
adquarters?"-sm
act
ether. As they passed through the crowded r
got it badly,
nced after the pai
is he? I head young Raynha
mean she's
ther
y before yesterday,"
s a hotheaded youngster. Just the so
y supper-room and was seeing to it that Lady Arabella's commands were obe
. "After dancing. Besides, unlike
But naturally, you can't consume a solid
after a pause. "You must receive a surfeit of them. But"-looking at her with tho
ou?" she aske
lau
to temptation than to resist," he answ
shed a
mptation?" she a
nt, then answered
ion of seein
ar too much for that to be the case! Saint Mic
other, you see. Perhaps my idea
me t
ed her re
and despoiler. Wherever she comes, the place should be the happier for her coming-not bereft by it. She should be the helper and
t like that? I'm the
with her bent head, fingering the
dancing?" she
know
mixture of defiance and appeal
ok his
so great that she forgot everything except the
ing," she retorted with a flash of dry humo
it as you do. Even the love you've no use for is the biggest thing the poor devil who l
the stern accusation that underlay the
aid, "I think I'
h to quit the supper-room, but, either by
g her face intently, "me
eve I'm not c
rawing aside to let her pass, "
o unevenly and, afraid to trust herself to speak, she moved forward without response in the direction of the door.
from a little group of men with whom he ha
inning," he said. "Are you
engaged," s
though the evening had drained her of her strength and left her unequal to
ad asked her to dance with him instead! But he had bowed and left her as soon a
watching h
, "that you're afrai
answered him wit
lieve
promise? You did p
hey had telephoned down for his mother to go to him. And you woul
d a curiously conc
Mrs. Grey could go to he
clined h
she sai
ed asking me
she sai
. Extraordinarily kind," he commented slowly. His expression was one o
she queri
woman-always ready to sacrific
though she were listening to an
he sake of Mrs. Grey and little Coppertop. Mademoiselle"-he bowed gravely-"I kiss your hands.
n the circumstances, renounce the dance she had promised him. It argued a fineness of perception and a gener
nce." Then, as he still hesitated: "I should like to dance w
diant-like a child that has been pa
ng quickly, as he detected a flicker of apprehension in Magda's eyes: "But you nee
ce, but there was a restraint, a punctilious deference about him that, even while
uick recognition of the musician's sense of fair play in renouncing his dance with her when he knew the circumstances which had impelled her to promise it-these two things had sufficed to
disinclined to dance again, and, always chary of her favours in this respect, she remained watching the dancing in preference to taking any part in it,
proval-annoyance because she had expected him to ask her for a dance quite early in the course of the programme and he had failed to do so, and approv
request a dance at this late hour, however
gaily. "I am just going home. It's
ed courteously. "May
rs with a small gracious nod, laid her slim hand on his sleeve. As they moved a
on paused
he said. "Danc
. It was as though the words were dra
ark ones with their slumbrous fire brooding beneath
answered a trif
with significances half-hidden, half-understood, and she found herself quivering with a strange uncertainty and nervousn
ike in the faint light of Chinese lanterns swung from the leaf-clad roof. From somewhere near at hand came the silvery, showering
he world behind them and were quite alone, enfolded in
oximity and of some rapidly rising tide of emotion mounting within him. She knew the barrier against whi
Can't you-can't y
ment she was crushed against his breast, his mouth on he
else had discovered the Eden of the winter
e sky as Magda drove home. In the wan light her face looked unusually pa
and she had felt herself stirred to a sudden pas
last, unpremeditated dance, those tense, vibrant moments in the winter-garden, then the jarring
possible. Their solitude had been ruthlessly destroyed; the outside world had thrust itself upo
phrase had fallen awkwardly from Magda's lips
possible that he believed in her now-trusted her? It had been in answer to that low, implo
grew wistful-wonderingly questioning the future. Was she, too, only waiting for the revelation of dawn-the da
pulled up at Friars' Holm. She looked rather white and there w
w is he?" aske
e's safe now! But-oh, M
with a dogged courage and determination that had won the grav
ntil at last her sobs ceased an
I've quite recovered now-really. Come and tell me about everything. Did Davilof play for you all right? And did you enjoy the dance afte
e propped against the clock and slit open the flap. It was probably only some note of urgent invitation
, a note of apprehensio
dumbly. Then she h
flatly. "It's from K
along the two brie
Do you know where he