little bob to Royalty, to which a course of six days' state pageantry had already accustomed her, she found some amusement in watching the Leichardtstonians as they filed past and performed their obeisances. Frank Hallett came presently, and put his name down for some dances, and found Mrs. Valliant a seat, from which she could see the dancing when it began. He gave a startled look at Elsie's glittering decoration, the girl flushed crimson in contrast to his sudden paleness. It seemed to her that every eye in the room must be fixed on that star. Certainly the eyes of Blake were arrested by it, and he, too, turned a shade paler, and his own eyes gave out a flash as he noticed the ornament and guessed its history.
"I congratulate you, Miss Valliant," he said, very low, in a voice of concentrated fury and bitterness. "Lord Astar has excellent taste in jewellery."
"Lord Astar!" Frank Hallett caught the name, and turned to Elsie with a sudden passionate jealousy. "Come out with me," he said hoarsely, forgetting Blake's presence—forgetting everything but a sudden awful fear that seized him. "I want to say something to you."
"Not now," answered Elsie calmly. "Please forgive me, Mr. Hallett. I forgot when I let you put your name down for the first waltz that I cannot dance it with you."
"You are engaged to me for that waltz," said Blake.
She looked at him. His eyes never flinched from her face, but held hers with a compelling power. Elsie realized what a subject of hypnotism must feel in the presence of a master of that gift. She would have given worlds at that moment to have been able to assert her will and contradict Blake. It was impossible. She was spell-bound. She began to speak and the words died on her lips.
"You are engaged to me," Blake repeated. "In the meantime may I offer you my arm, till," he added as they turned away, "Lord Astar is at liberty to claim his property?"
Still Elsie was spell-bound. They walked on a few steps. At that moment the music began, and the formal reception ended. The first quadrille—a state business—was being
