"There is autumn afterwards," he reasoned, "which is full of richness and glorious fruit. May we not look forward to that? But yet I know that we all deceive ourselves and live in what may be only a fool's paradise"--and then it was that he caught sight of his adored, as she bent forward after her rebuke to Michael--and with a burst of feeling in his controlled voice, he cried: "But who would forego his fool's paradise!"--and then he took in the fact that some unusual current of emotion must have been passing between the two--and his heart gave a great bound of foreboding. For the keenness of his perceptions and his honesty of judgment made him see that they were strangely suited to one another--his darling and his friend--so strong and vital and young. CHAPTER XVII The ball was going splendidly and everyone seemed to be in wild form. Sabine had danced with an excitement in her veins which she could not control. Had there been no music or lights, she might just have felt frightfully disturbed and unhappy, but as it was she was only conscious of excitement. Lord Fordyce was above showing jealousy, and was content that she seemed to be enjoying herself, and did not appear unwilling to return to him quite frequently and walk about the room or sit down. "You are looking so supremely bewitching, my darling," he told her. "I feel it is selfish of me to keep you away from the gay dances, you are so young and sweet. I want you to enjoy yourself. Have you not danced with Michael Arranstoun yet? I saw you were getting on with him splendidly at dinner--he used to be a great dancer before he went off to foreign parts." "No, I have not spoken to him even," she answered, with what indifference she could. "What was he saying just before you left the dining-room which made you look so haughty, dearest? He was not impertinent to you, I hope," and Henry frowned a little at the thought. Sabine played with her fan--she was feeling inexpressibly mean. "No--not in the least--we were discussing someone we had both known--long ago--she is dead now. I may have been a little annoyed at what he said. Oh! is that a Scotch reel they are going to begin?" How glad she was of this diversion! She knew she had been capricious with Lord Fordyce once or twice during the evening. She was greatly perturbed. Oh! Why had she not had the courage to be her usual, honest self, and have told him immediately at Heronac who her husband really was. She was in a false position, ashamed of her deceit and surrounded by a net-work of acted lies; and all through everything there was a passionate longing to speak to Michael again, and to be near him once more as at dinner. She had been conscious of everything that he did--of whom he had danced with--Moravia for several times--and now she knew that he was not in the ball-room.