Jack "pulled himself together," as he would have called it, and sat down beside her. "No," he said, "I will stay if I may." She turned to him with a gentle smile. "No; go now, please. I am not ungrateful. It was very kind of you to come. You will not forget tomorrow?" "No," said Jack, fingering his crush hat. "I will not forget tomorrow--how could I?" She held out her hand--not a tiny, meaningless one, but a long, shapely eloquent hand--and put it into his broad, strong one. "Good-night!" she said, and her voice grew wondrously low and gentle in its caressing, clinging tones. "Good-night!" Jack felt the slender fingers, warm through the thin gloves, cling round his fingers. "Good-night," she said, hurriedly. "Good-night." CHAPTER XXIII. Jack walked leisurely enough through the fernery looking this way and that in search of the phantom girl; but once clear of the ball-room, he hurried through the ante-rooms and down the staircase--utterly ignoring the adieus which were sent after him by the crowd on the stairs--and reached the hall. The carriages were already taking up, and without ceremony he pushed through the footmen into the open air. "Has a carriage left just now--five minutes ago?" he asked. "Two or three, sir," said the footmen, and, too busy to answer any further questions, he dashed off. Jack waited just outside the stream of light for nearly an hour, his coat collar turned up, his hands thrust in his pockets. But though many a beautiful face passed him and was driven away, Una's lovely face was not amongst them. "I must have fallen asleep and been dreaming," he muttered. "How could she possibly have been there?" Then he called a hansom, and was driven to the club. His blood was on fire, his brain was in a whirl; two faces--Una's and Lady Bell's--seemed to dance before his eyes. Do something he must to get rid of them, or they would drive him mad. There was only one thing to do--play. Before the morning he had lost every penny of his twenty-one pounds six and fourpence, and a couple of hundred besides. * * * * * Chance had favored Una in her escape; no sooner had she reached the staircase than she heard Mrs. Davenant's carriage announced. To get her shawl and make her way down the staircase was the work of a few moments, and the brougham was rolling away toward Walmington Square before Jack had got down to the hall. "Well, my dear," said Mrs. Davenant, "have you enjoyed yourself? You look pale and tired." Una shrunk into her corner. "I am rather tired," she said, in a low voice, "it was all so new and strange." "And was Lady Bell kind?" "Very kind," answered Una, with a sigh. "How beautiful she is!" "Yes," said Mrs. Davenant, "she is a very fortunate girl. Youth and beauty and wealth, she has much to make her happy. Tell me whom you saw, my dear."