What Skelton thought or felt nobody knew. He expressed, however, to Sylvia, great solicitude in speaking of Hilary Blair’s recovery, and sent Bob Skinny formally, once or twice, to ask how the boy was. Sylvia was making herself felt on Skelton’s heart and mind; but, like a man, he put off entertaining the great guest as long as he could. And there was his engagement to the world to do something extraordinary. In the long summer days he was haunted by that unfulfilled promise. He was so tormented and driven by it, and by his inability to settle down steadily to his book, that he looked about him for some distraction. He found it only too often, he began to think, in Sylvia Shapleigh’s soft eyes and charming talk. Skelton was not averse to occasional hospitalities on a grand scale, and one day it occurred to him that he would give a great ball as a return for the invitations he had received. On mentioning this embryonic scheme to Sylvia, that young woman received it with enthusiasm, and even slyly put Lewis Pryor up to reminding Skelton of it. Lewis, too, was immensely taken with the notion, and when Skelton found himself the victim of two such conspirators, he yielded gracefully enough. He declared that he would send for a man from Baltimore who knew all about balls, that he might not be bothered with it, and Sylvia forcibly encouraged him in everything calculated to make the ball a success. The man was sent for and plans were made, upon which Sylvia’s opinion was asked--to Mrs. Shapleigh’s delight and consternation and to old Tom’s secret amusement. “Mr. Shapleigh, the county will say at once that Sylvia is engaged to Richard Skelton, and then what shall we do?” “Do, ma’am? Do as the French do in a gale of wind.” “What is that, Mr. Shapleigh?” “The best they can.” “Now, Mr. Shapleigh, why will you say such senseless things? Of course, there’s nothing for us to do--nothing; and, although Richard Skelton is the greatest match in the county, even if he does have to give up his wife’s money, yet there are drawbacks to him. You told me yourself he didn’t believe in the devil.” “Well, he will if he ever gets married,” responded old Tom, with an enormous wink.