ostentatiouslyamiabletoher。Afterwardsshesawhimdancing，talking，beingpresentedtopeople，being，withatactfuleasiness，takencareofbyhishostandhostess，andLordWestholt。Shewasstruckbythegracefulmagicwithwhichthistactfuleasesurroundedhimwithoutanyobviousness。TheDunholmshadgivenalead，asLadyAlanbyhadsaid，andtherestwerefollowingitandignoringintervalswithreposefulreadiness。Itwaswonderfullywelldone。
Apparentlytherehadbeennopastatall。Allbeganwiththislargeyoungman，who，despitehisVikingtype，reallylookedparticularlywellineveningdress。LadyAlanbyheldhimbyherchairforsometime，openlyenjoyinghertalkwithhim，andcallingupTommy，thattheymightmakefriends。
Afterawhile，Bettysaidtoherself，hewouldcomeandaskforadance。Buthedidnotcome，andshedancedwithonemanafteranother。Westholtcametoherseveraltimesandhadmoredancesthanone。Whydidtheothernotcome？Severaltimestheywhirledpasteachother，andwhenitoccurredtheylooked——bothfeelingitanaccident——intoeachother’seyes。
Thestrongandstrangething——thatwhichmovesonitswayasdobirthanddeath，andtherisingandsettingofthesun——
hadbeguntomoveinthem。Itwasnonewandrarething，butanancientandcommonone——ascommonandancientasdeathandbirththemselves；andpartofthelawastheyare。Asitcomestoroyalpersonstowhomonemakesobeisanceattheirmerepassingby，asitcomestoscullerymaidsinroyalkitchens，andgroomsinroyalstables，asitcomestoladies—in—waitingandthewomenwhoservethem，soithadcometothesetwowhohadbeendrawnneartoeachotherfromtheoppositesidesoftheearth，andeachstartedatthetouchofit，andwithdrewapaceinbewilderment，andsomefear。