"I do want to," he assured her. "I do, indeed!"
"How often is 'pretty often,' Mr. Russell"
"Would you walk with me sometimes? Tomorrow?"
"Sometimes. Not to-morrow. The day after."
"That's splendid!" he said. "You'll walk with me day after to-morrow, and the night after that I'll see you at Miss Lamb's dance, won't I?"
But this fell rather chillingly upon Alice. "Miss Lamb's dance? Which Miss Lamb?" she asked.
"I don't know—it's the one that's just coming out of mourning."
"Oh, Henrietta—yes. Is her dance so soon? I'd forgotten."
"You'll be there, won't you?" he asked. "Please say you're going."
Alice did not respond at once, and he urged her again: "Please do promise you'll be there."
"No, I can't promise anything," she said, slowly. "You see, for one thing, papa might not be well enough."
"But if he is?" said Russell. "If he is you'll surely come, won't you? Or, perhaps———" He hesitated, then went on quickly, "I don't know the rules in this place yet, and different places have different rules;
