For a moment he could see nothing of Lady Bell, then as she came out of the fernery and advanced toward him her dark eyes flashing, or rather gleaming softly, with a faint, delicious color mantling on her cheeks, he felt almost the same shock of surprise which had fallen on Una. He had scarcely noticed her the other night, had scarcely, indeed, seen her, and he now saw, as it were for the first time, her beauty, set off and heightened by the aid of one of Worth's happiest dresses, and Emanuel's diamonds. In spite of himself he was dazzled, and his frank eyes showed that he was. And Lady Bell? Well, though his face had scarcely left her mind's eye since she had seen it, she was not disappointed. Notwithstanding the rather bored and surly--not to say ferocious expression which set upon it--she thought him handsomer than even she had remembered him. "This is very kind of you, Mr. Newcombe," she said speaking first, for Jack had contented himself with bowing over her hand. "Kind?" said Jack, in his straightforward way. Lady Bell hesitated, and for the first time, perhaps, in her life, smiled shyly. "I heard--they tell me--that it is as difficult to get Mr. Newcombe to a dance as a prince of the blood royal." "It isn't much in my way," said Jack, quietly; "I am not a dancing man--that is, I don't care for it." "Then it was kind," said Lady Bell, recovering her courage and smiling at him with that wonderful smile which Hetley and all the rest of them talked so much about. Jack looked at her. Yes, certainly she was very beautiful, and there was a subtle something in that smile. His ill-temper began to disappear. "I should say," he said, "that a man ought to feel lucky at the chance of getting here." "They also told me," said Lady Bell, archly, "that you never paid compliments." "Someone seems to have been taking a great deal of trouble to make me out a regular boor," said Jack, with his curt laugh. "Did they also tell you that I lived in the woods up a tree, and existed on wild animals?" "Like a savage?" said Lady Bell, wickedly. Jack flushed and looked at her; then her smile conquered and he laughed. "Yes, that is what they call me, confound their impudence! But I'm a very tame kind of a savage, Lady Earlsley; I shan't scalp you." "It wouldn't matter much, would it?" she retorted. "They make such beautiful false hair now." Jack looked down on the soft, glossy head, with its thick, light coils, and smiled. "Are you going to change your mind and scalp me, after all?" she said. "You make me tremble when you look like that." Jack laughed right out. "No," he said; "even a savage is incapable of such ingratitude. I have come to-night, Lady Earlsley, to thank you for your kindness the other night, and to tell you how sorry I am that--that you should have had so much trouble!" And a blush managed to show itself under the tan. Lady Bell looked down.