"I'll see the steward and get you a cup of tea," Hannah said. "Tea sets me up like anything when I'm nervous. Now please be a good girl, Miss Barbara, and don't run off, or do anything foolish." She wanted me to promise, but I would not, although I could not have run anywhere. My legs were entirely numb. In a half hour at the utmost I knew all would be known, and very likely I would be a homeless wanderer on the earth. For I felt that never, never could I return to my dear ones, when my terrible actions became known. Jane came in while I was sipping the tea and she stood off and eyed me with sympathy. "I don't wonder, Bab!" she said. "The idea of your family acting so outrageously! And look here" She bent over me and whispered it. "Don't trust Carter too much. He is perfectly infatuated with Leila, and he will play into the hands of the enemy. BE CAREFUL." "Loathsome creature!" was my response. "As for trusting him, I trust no one, these days." "I don't wonder your faith is gone," she observed. But she was talking with one eye on a mirror. "Pink makes me pale," she said. "I'll bet the maid has a drawer full of rouge. I'm going to see. How about a touch for you? You look ghastly." "I don't care how I look," I said, recklessly. "I think I'll sprain my ankle and go home. Anyhow I am not allowed to use rouge." "Not allowed!" she observed. "What has that got to do with it? I don't understand you, Bab; you are totally changed." "I am suffering," I said. I was to. Just then the maid brought me a folded note. Hannah was hanging up my wraps, and did not see it. Jane's eyes fairly bulged. "I hope you have saved the cotillion for me," it said. And it was signed. H----! "Good gracious," Jane said breathlessly. "Don't tell me he is here, and that that's from him!" I had to swallow twice before I could speak. Then I said, solemnly: "He is here, Jane. He has followed me. I am going to dance the cotillion with him although I shall probably be disinherited and thrown out into the world, as a result." I have no recollection whatever of going down the staircase and into the ballroom. Although I am considered rather brave, and once saved one of the smaller girls from drowning, as I need not remind the school, when she was skating on thin ice, I was frightened. I remember that, inside the door, Jane said "Courage!" in a low tense voice, and that I stepped on somebody's foot and said "Certainly" instead of apologizing. The shock of that brought me around somewhat, and I managed to find Mrs. Adams and Elaine, and not disgrace myself. Then somebody at my elbow said: "All right, Barbara. Everything's fixed." It was Carter. "He's waiting in the corner over there," he said. "We'd better go through the formality of an introduction. He's positively twittering with excitement." "Carter" I said desperately. "I want to tell you something first. I've got myself in an awful mess. I----"