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| °\ A DREADFUL TEMPTATION. "1
looking at the dancers, a little later, when Mrs. Egerton ap-
proached, leaning on thearm ofahandsome gentleman, and |
then she found herself bowing and smiling in acknowledge-
ment of an introduction to Lord Dudley.
‘*T have been watching youa long time, Mrs. St. John,”
he said, taking his place by_her side.. ‘‘ Your face puzzled
me.”
‘*Indeed?” she said, raising her dark eyes tohim with a
kind of languid wonder. :
‘Yes, it is'true,” he said. Then suddenly, as the intox;
icating strains of a waltz began to pulsate on the perfumed
_air, he exclaimed, in a different tone: ‘‘ Will you give me
this waltz, Mrs. St.John?” ° |
She assented. indifferently, and a moment later she was
whirling down the long room, the envy of every woman at
the ball, for every feminine present had set her cap at the’
distinguished traveler.
His tall, proud form in the black evening dress showed
to the most. perfect advantage, as clasping her petite and
graceful form closely in his arm, they whirled round and
round to the enchanting strains,. looking, in the perfect ac-
cord and gracefulness with which they moved, like the
spirit of harmony embodied.
“That will be a match,” predicted some.of.the wiseacres
around, and those that did not say that much thought it to
themselves. ;
‘Among the latter class was a gentleman who had entered
a moment before and now stood talking courteously to the
hostess. a
It was she who had directed his. attention to the hand-
some pair.
‘‘Look at Xenie,”’ she said with a spice of malicious
triumph in her tone. ‘‘ That is Lord Dudley with whom
she is waltzing. She has quite captivated him. Doubtless’
it will be a match.”
His eyes followed the flying form a moment steadily,
then he answered calmly:
‘‘They are a handsome pair, certainly, Mrs. Egerton. I.
am acquainted with Lord Dudley:
‘‘You met him abroad, I suppose?”
‘‘No, we came over from England in the same——”
But at that moment someone came hastily upand claimed
his attention.
Then alittle excited group formed around him, and even
the waltzers began-to see that an unusual interest was agi-
tating the wall-flowers. 7
Xenie looked carelessly at first, then more closely as she
saw that her aunt stood in the center of the group,
‘
ere 7 mane
Wel SIL? MEIE
ae nee ee ne eee een