WhenSusan’sengagementhadbeenapprovedathome，andmadepublictoanyonewhotookaninterestinitatthehotel——andbythistimethesocietyatthehotelwasdividedsoastopointtoinvisiblechalk-markssuchasMr。Hirsthaddescribed，thenewswasfelttojustifysomecelebration——anexpedition？Thathadbeendonealready。
Adancethen。Theadvantageofadancewasthatitabolishedoneofthoselongeveningswhichwereapttobecometediousandleadtoabsurdlyearlyhoursinspiteofbridge。
Twoorthreepeoplestandingundertheerectbodyofthestuffedleopardinthehallverysoonhadthematterdecided。Evelynslidapaceortwothiswayandthat，andpronouncedthatthefloorwasexcellent。SignorRodriguezinformedthemofanoldSpaniardwhofiddledatweddings——fiddledsoastomakeatortoisewaltz；
andhisdaughter，althoughendowedwitheyesasblackascoal-scuttles，hadthesamepoweroverthepiano。Iftherewereanysosickorsosurlyastoprefersedentaryoccupationsonthenightinquestiontospinningandwatchingothersspin，thedrawing-roomandbilliard-roomweretheirs。Hewetmadeithisbusinesstoconciliatetheoutsidersasmuchaspossible。
ToHirst’stheoryoftheinvisiblechalk-markshewouldpaynoattentionwhatever。Hewastreatedtoasnubortwo，but，inreward，foundobscurelonelygentlemendelightedtohavethisopportunityoftalkingtotheirkind，andtheladyofdoubtfulcharactershowedeverysymptomofconfidinghercasetohiminthenearfuture。
Indeeditwasmadequiteobvioustohimthatthetwoorthreehoursbetweendinnerandbedcontainedanamountofunhappiness，whichwasreallypitiable，somanypeoplehadnotsucceededinmakingfriends。
ItwassettledthatthedancewastobeonFriday，oneweekaftertheengagement，andatdinnerHewetdeclaredhimselfsatisfied。
“They’reallcoming！“hetoldHirst。“Pepper！“hecalled，seeingWilliamPepperslippastinthewakeofthesoupwithapamphletbeneathhisarm，“We’recountingonyoutoopentheball。“
“Youwillcertainlyputsleepoutofthequestion，“Pepperreturned。
“YouaretotakethefloorwithMissAllan，“Hewetcontinued，consultingasheetofpencillednotes。
Pepperstoppedandbeganadiscourseuponrounddances，countrydances，morrisdances，andquadrilles，allofwhichareentirelysuperiortothebastardwaltzandspuriouspolkawhichhaveoustedthemmostunjustlyincontemporarypopularity——whenthewaitersgentlypushedhimontohistableinthecorner。
Thedining-roomatthismomenthadacertainfantasticresemblancetoafarmyardscatteredwithgrainonwhichbrightpigeonskeptdescending。Almostalltheladiesworedresseswhichtheyhadnotyetdisplayed，andtheirhairroseinwavesandscrollssoastoappearlikecarvedwoodinGothicchurchesratherthanhair。Thedinnerwasshorterandlessformalthanusual，eventhewaitersseemingtobeaffectedwiththegeneralexcitement。
Tenminutesbeforetheclockstruckninethecommitteemadeatourthroughtheballroom。Thehall，whenemptiedofitsfurniture，brilliantlylit，adornedwithflowerswhosescenttingedtheair，presentedawonderfulappearanceofetherealgaiety。
“It’slikeastarlitskyonanabsolutelycloudlessnight，“
Hewetmurmured，lookingabouthim，attheairyemptyroom。
“Aheavenlyfloor，anyhow，“Evelynadded，takingarunandslidingtwoorthreefeetalong。
“Whataboutthosecurtains？“askedHirst。Thecrimsoncurtainsweredrawnacrossthelongwindows。“It’saperfectnightoutside。“
“Yes，butcurtainsinspireconfidence，“MissAllandecided。
“Whentheballisinfullswingitwillbetimetodrawthem。
Wemightevenopenthewindowsalittle……Ifwedoitnowelderlypeoplewillimaginetherearedraughts。
Herwisdomhadcometoberecognised，andheldinrespect。
Meanwhileastheystoodtalking，themusicianswereunwrappingtheirinstruments，andtheviolinwasrepeatingagainandagainanotestruckuponthepiano。Everythingwasreadytobegin。
Afterafewminutes’pause，thefather，thedaughter，andtheson-in-lawwhoplayedthehornflourishedwithoneaccord。
Liketheratswhofollowedthepiper，headsinstantlyappearedinthedoorway。Therewasanotherflourish；andthenthetriodashedspontaneouslyintothetriumphantswingofthewaltz。
Itwasasthoughtheroomwereinstantlyfloodedwithwater。
Afteramoment’shesitationfirstonecouple，thenanother，leaptintomid-stream，andwentroundandroundintheeddies。
Therhythmicswishofthedancerssoundedlikeaswirlingpool。
Bydegreestheroomgrewperceptiblyhotter。Thesmellofkidglovesmingledwiththestrongscentofflowers。Theeddiesseemedtocirclefasterandfaster，untilthemusicwroughtitselfintoacrash，ceased，andthecirclesweresmashedintolittleseparatebits。Thecouplesstruckoffindifferentdirections，leavingathinrowofelderlypeoplestuckfasttothewalls，andhereandthereapieceoftrimmingorahandkerchieforaflowerlayuponthefloor。Therewasapause，andthenthemusicstartedagain，theeddieswhirled，thecouplescircledroundinthem，untiltherewasacrash，andthecircleswerebrokenupintoseparatepieces。
Whenthishadhappenedaboutfivetimes，Hirst，wholeantagainstawindow-frame，likesomesingulargargoyle，perceivedthatHelenAmbroseandRachelstoodinthedoorway。Thecrowdwassuchthattheycouldnotmove，butherecognisedthembyapieceofHelen’sshoulderandaglimpseofRachel’sheadturninground。
Hemadehiswaytothem；theygreetedhimwithrelief。
“Wearesufferingthetorturesofthedamned，“saidHelen。
“Thisismyideaofhell，“saidRachel。
Hereyeswerebrightandshelookedbewildered。
HewetandMissAllan，whohadbeenwaltzingsomewhatlaboriously，pausedandgreetedthenewcomers。
“This_is_nice，“saidHewet。“ButwhereisMr。Ambrose？“
“Pindar，“saidHelen。“MayamarriedwomanwhowasfortyinOctoberdance？Ican’tstandstill。“SheseemedtofadeintoHewet，andtheybothdissolvedinthecrowd。
“Wemustfollowsuit，“saidHirsttoRachel，andhetookherresolutelybytheelbow。Rachel，withoutbeingexpert，dancedwell，becauseofagoodearforrhythm，butHirsthadnotasteformusic，andafewdancinglessonsatCambridgehadonlyputhimintopossessionoftheanatomyofawaltz，withoutimpartinganyofitsspirit。
Asingleturnprovedtothemthattheirmethodswereincompatible；
insteadoffittingintoeachothertheirbonesseemedtojutoutinanglesmakingsmoothturninganimpossibility，andcutting，moreover，intothecircularprogressoftheotherdancers。
“Shallwestop？“saidHirst。Rachelgatheredfromhisexpressionthathewasannoyed。
Theystaggeredtoseatsinthecorner，fromwhichtheyhadaviewoftheroom。Itwasstillsurging，inwavesofblueandyellow，stripedbytheblackevening-clothesofthegentlemen。
“Anamazingspectacle，“Hirstremarked。“DoyoudancemuchinLondon？“Theywerebothbreathingfast，andbothalittleexcited，thougheachwasdeterminednottoshowanyexcitementatall。
“Scarcelyever。Doyou？“
“MypeoplegiveadanceeveryChristmas。“
“Thisisn’thalfabadfloor，“Rachelsaid。Hirstdidnotattempttoanswerherplatitude。Hesatquitesilent，staringatthedancers。
AfterthreeminutesthesilencebecamesointolerabletoRachelthatshewasgoadedtoadvanceanothercommonplaceaboutthebeautyofthenight。Hirstinterruptedherruthlessly。
“WasthatallnonsensewhatyousaidtheotherdayaboutbeingaChristianandhavingnoeducation？“heasked。
“Itwaspracticallytrue，“shereplied。“ButIalsoplaythepianoverywell，“shesaid，“better，Iexpectthananyoneinthisroom。
YouarethemostdistinguishedmaninEngland，aren’tyou？“
sheaskedshyly。
“Oneofthethree，“hecorrected。
HelenwhirlingpastheretossedafanintoRachel’slap。
“Sheisverybeautiful，“Hirstremarked。
Theywereagainsilent。Rachelwaswonderingwhetherhethoughtheralsonice-looking；St。Johnwasconsideringtheimmensedifficultyoftalkingtogirlswhohadnoexperienceoflife。
Rachelhadobviouslyneverthoughtorfeltorseenanything，andshemightbeintelligentorshemightbejustlikealltherest。
ButHewet’stauntrankledinhismind——“youdon’tknowhowtogetonwithwomen，“andhewasdeterminedtoprofitbythisopportunity。
Herevening-clothesbestowedonherjustthatdegreeofunrealityanddistinctionwhichmadeitromantictospeaktoher，andstirredadesiretotalk，whichirritatedhimbecausehedidnotknowhowtobegin。Heglancedather，andsheseemedtohimveryremoteandinexplicable，veryyoungandchaste。Hedrewasigh，andbegan。
“Aboutbooksnow。Whathaveyouread？JustShakespeareandtheBible？“
“Ihaven’treadmanyclassics，“Rachelstated。Shewasslightlyannoyedbyhisjauntyandratherunnaturalmanner，whilehismasculineacquirementsinducedhertotakeaverymodestviewofherownpower。
“D’youmeantotellmeyou’vereachedtheageoftwenty-fourwithoutreadingGibbon？“hedemanded。
“Yes，Ihave，“sheanswered。
“MonDieu！“heexclaimed，throwingouthishands。“Youmustbeginto-morrow。Ishallsendyoumycopy。WhatIwanttoknowis——“
helookedathercritically。“Yousee，theproblemis，canonereallytalktoyou？Haveyougotamind，orareyouliketherestofyoursex？Youseemtomeabsurdlyyoungcomparedwithmenofyourage。“
Rachellookedathimbutsaidnothing。
“AboutGibbon，“hecontinued。“D’youthinkyou’llbeabletoappreciatehim？He’sthetest，ofcourse。It’sawfullydifficulttotellaboutwomen，“hecontinued，“howmuch，Imean，isduetolackoftraining，andhowmuchisnativeincapacity。
Idon’tseemyselfwhyyoushouldn’tunderstand——onlyIsupposeyou’veledanabsurdlifeuntilnow——you’vejustwalkedinacrocodile，Isuppose，withyourhairdownyourback。“
Themusicwasagainbeginning。Hirst’seyewanderedabouttheroominsearchofMrs。Ambrose。Withthebestwillintheworldhewasconsciousthattheywerenotgettingonwelltogether。
“I’dlikeawfullytolendyoubooks，“hesaid，buttoninghisgloves，andrisingfromhisseat。“Weshallmeetagain。“I’mgoingtoleaveyounow。“
Hegotupandlefther。
Rachellookedround。Shefeltherselfsurrounded，likeachildataparty，bythefacesofstrangersallhostiletoher，withhookednosesandsneering，indifferenteyes。Shewasbyawindow，shepusheditopenwithajerk。Shesteppedoutintothegarden。
Hereyesswamwithtearsofrage。
“Damnthatman！“sheexclaimed，havingacquiredsomeofHelen’swords。
“Damnhisinsolence！“
Shestoodinthemiddleofthepalesquareoflightwhichthewindowshehadopenedthrewuponthegrass。Theformsofgreatblacktreesrosemassivelyinfrontofher。Shestoodstill，lookingatthem，shiveringslightlywithangerandexcitement。
Sheheardthetramplingandswingingofthedancersbehindher，andtherhythmicswayofthewaltzmusic。
“Therearetrees，“shesaidaloud。WouldthetreesmakeupforSt。JohnHirst？ShewouldbeaPersianprincessfarfromcivilisation，ridingherhorseuponthemountainsalone，andmakingherwomensingtoherintheevening，farfromallthis，fromthestrifeandmenandwomen——aformcameoutoftheshadow；
alittleredlightburnthighupinitsblackness。
“MissVinrace，isit？“saidHewet，peeringather。“YouweredancingwithHirst？“
“He’smademefurious！“shecriedvehemently。“Noone’sanyrighttobeinsolent！“
“Insolent？“Hewetrepeated，takinghiscigarfromhismouthinsurprise。“Hirst——insolent？“
