"It is unnecessary. I have just recognized--Captain Pendleton," replied
Sybil.
The captain bowed low. And then, to the "forward two" of the leader of
the band, he led his partner up to meet their vis-a-vis, to "balance,"
"pass," "change," and go through all the figures of the dance.
And so the dances succeeded each other to the end of the set. And then
Captain Pendleton led his beautiful partner back to her seat, and stood
talking with her until the music for the waltz commenced.
Then, having solicited her hand for that dance, and having ascertained
that she never waltzed, he bowed and withdrew to find a partner
elsewhere.
Very soon Sybil saw him whirling around the room with some one of the
many unknown flower girls that constituted so large a portion of the
company.
Soon after this she saw both her husband and her rival among the
waltzers; but they were not waltzing together. Edith the Fair was
whirling around and around the room in the arms of a hermit, while
Harold the Saxon was engaged with a pretty nun.
"They know me! they are cautious!" muttered Sybil, biting her lips with
suppressed fury; for their forbearance, which she called duplicity,
enraged her more than all their flirting had done.
And now she immediately put in execution the resolution that she had
formed in the earlier part of the evening. Seeing her new acquaintance
Death standing unemployed, she beckoned him to approach.
He came promptly.
"King of Terrors!" she said with assumed levity, "I do not waltz, but I
am tired of sitting here. Give me your arm to the other end of the room,
and even all around the room, perhaps."
"Spirit of Fire! it will not be the first time that I have had the honor
of waiting on you or following in your track," said Death, gallantly.
"True; Fire has often preceded Death as his agent," assented Sybil.
"Say rather, that Death has often followed Fire as her servant."
"Enough of this. We seem to be well paired, at least. Let us get up and
walk."
Death bowed and offered his arm, and Fire arose and took it. And they
walked around the room, keeping outside the circle of the waltzers and
near the seats by the walls. But as they walked, many exclamations of
admiration, wonder, and awe struck their ears.
"Splendid creature! She moves like a spirit or a flame," exclaimed one.
"What a contrast to her companion! She all life and light, he all
darkness and death."
"It looks, as they walk side by side, as if she had burned him up and
consumed him to a skeleton of charred bones," said another.
"Horrible! Hush!" imperatively commanded a young lady, whose will, if it
did not enforce silence, modified expression.