"No, indeed, sir," Phyllida answered quite naturally. Lovely was rather surprized. He had expected the customary play of a fan. "You are making a long stay here?" he asked. "Oh, sir, I do not know, 'tis for so long as my mamma thinks proper." "I have not had the honour of an introduction." "No," said Phyllida doubtfully. She was not at all anxious to present Mr. Lovely, and willing enough to take advantage of the Assembly rule that the offer and acceptance of a dance was not necessarily a passport to intimacy on the next day. She did not wish to be treated like a child before the gallant Mr. Lovely who treated her with such deference. "Did you hear anything more of the Valentine?" said Phyllida with a ripple of laughter. "Not a word." "You remember the young woman by whom I was seated?" "Perfectly." "'Twas for her," said Phyllida with more laughter. "Nonsense." "Oh, yes! indeed, 'tis true, and the best of it is she thinks the Valentine was sent by Mr. Chalkley." "Never!" "Oh! yes, yes, yes." "But he has never set eyes on her." "No! But she thinks he has--often, just because he picked up her fan once." "Truly then I did a very politick action in effecting the introduction." "Oh, sir, she was ravished, you may be sure." "Gad! I'll send her a Valentine every day of the week, and put one in her Prayer Book on Sundays." "Oh, sir! but sure, it might end in a wedding, and that's a very serious matter as all the world knows." "Not more serious than love," said Charles. "Well, no, perhaps not more than love; but then neither of 'em is in love with t'other." "I swear they shall be." "You can't force people to fall in love." "Can't you?" said Charles very earnestly, so earnestly that Phyllida thought the air was turning chill and that they ought to go back to the ballroom. "Not yet," pleaded Mr. Lovely. "I thought we might walk towards the Maze." "The Maze?" said she quickly. "Why, yes! the entrance is but a few yards from where we are." "I had forgot," she answered, and then with a sudden determination, "I think we had better go back." "You're not frightened of the Maze?" "Oh, no, truly I'm not," Phyllida affirmed. "But I think I heard my mamma's voice and if she sees me here, I shall not be allowed to come to the next Assembly." Phyllida was feeling a vague emotion of infidelity to her dear Amor and almost dreaded to see his tall shadow in the amber light. "As you will," he said in some disappointment, "but we han't had a deal of conversation yet." "That's true," she replied, "but this is only our second meeting. Oh! Gemini!" she went on, "you'll think me forward and bold, but I vow I never meant it in that way." "Madam," said Charles with a bow, "I should never presume to put upon it an interpretation so complimentary to myself, but, seriously, you will give me two more dances to-night?" "It would be indiscreet." "Nay, I do not think so." "Your friends would laugh." "I do not _think_ so."