After supper Vane walked up and down the verandah. Most of the girls did the same, still in couples. Despite the cool mountain air, many of them wore low-throated muslin dresses. Vane's quasi-acquaintance, Miss Morse, was not among them; but about nine in the evening a figure came out of a side-door in front of him, in a sort of summer evening ball dress, and stood a moment by the piazza railing, pensively looking at the stars. As Vane passed by he saw that it was Miss Morse, and he could not help wondering whether she expected him to speak to her. As he passed the windows of the large dining-hall brilliantly lighted with gas, he saw that they were dancing inside. A few instruments were in one corner, and perhaps half a dozen couples waltzing on the floor. Some young men were there in evening dress, but not enough to go round, and many of the girls were dancing with each other. Vane had to admit that most of them danced very gracefully and well. After a moment, Miss Morse came in. She had apparently some pretensions, for she sank into an arm-chair in one corner of the room, and refused to dance. There was a sort of master of ceremonies in the person of a sallow and thin but dapper young gentleman who had all the affable address of a popular lady's salesman, and Vane saw him present several young men to Miss Morse. All this became at last somewhat tiresome, and, feeling lonely, Vane went to bed. He had almost got to sleep when he was aroused by the voices of his feminine neighbors. "Well, I think he's perfectly horrid," said one. "No," said another, "he ain't much of an addition. I told father I must have two new ball dresses, because I was coming here for the society. I had to tease him for them for a month, and now, I declare, I might just as well have stayed in the city all summer. Come and undo this, will you, please?" "Sh!" said the other voice, "how do you know there isn't some one next door?" A silence followed, interrupted by bursts of stifled laughter. "Well, I don't care," said the first voice. "There wasn't any one there yesterday, anyhow. Did you see how he was dressed? Nothing but a common, rough suit." "Oh, don't you like that? Why, I call that real distinguished." "Well, anyhow, I don't see why he couldn't get introduced. I call it simply rude, Englishman or no Englishman." At this point the unfortunate stranger seemed finally disposed of, and Vane went to sleep. XXI.