"Before that man came down," Denis ejaculated with the hoarseness of rage. She smiled, and there was a suggestion of triumph in the glint of her large canines. "He's cured Cleo, any way," she said. "A nice cure! The heat becomes too intense for somebody, a quack is called down, the weather cools, as it did twenty-four hours afterwards, and the quack gets the credit." In another part of the ballroom Lord Henry and Cleopatra were trying to entertain one another, and both of them were perspiring freely from the efforts they were making. "I think I have at last succeeded in prevailing upon the Tribes to join me on my trip to China," said Lord Henry, hoping that this subject might supply more conversation than the previous one had done. "What will they do?" "I must have someone, some man who is conscientious, retiring, and willing to help me and follow my directions without pushing himself forward. And Tribe is exactly the sort,--unassuming, conscientious, and meek." "But what will become of the Inner Light?" "I hope I shall have dealt that nonsense the severest blow it has ever received," Lord Henry exclaimed. "At any rate, Mrs. Tribe has done half the fighting for me. She is most anxious to come. Tribe is simply one of those people who have an itch to be doing some 'good work.' Give him the Inner Light or my business in China, he's just as happy. Stephen may come too." Cleopatra purred, and looked down at her toe. "This is a beautiful floor, isn't it?" said Lord Henry at last, when he found that the topic of the Tribes also fell completely flat. "Quite as good as the best in town," Cleopatra replied, her lips quivering slightly. "Sir Joseph had it specially built when he bought the place." "The band is quite good, too, for a provincial,--for a provincial sort of band," Lord Henry added. Her eyes were still downcast. "Yes, we haven't had these before. Sir Joseph usually gets a band from Folkestone." Meanwhile Mrs. Delarayne and Sir Joseph, who together had opened the dance, were having a somewhat acrimonious discussion. "My dear Edith, I'll speak to him if you wish me to," reiterated the baronet for the third time, "but I think it is a little premature." "I tell you, Joseph, that if you don't speak to him to-morrow, for certain, and ask him what his intentions are towards Leonetta, I shall pack up the girls' and my own traps, and off we'll go." This brought Sir Joseph to his senses. "Shall we both do it?" he suggested unctuously. "Very well, if you prefer it. You see I can't ask Lord Henry to speak to him, otherwise I would." Sir Joseph almost lost his temper. "Lord Henry, Lord Henry!--my dear Edith, of course not! What 'as it got to do with Lord 'Enry?" "No, that's what I say; that's why I ask you." "All right, you and I will have him in the study to-morrow, and we'll ask Leonetta up too, and get the whole thing settled." "But mind!" said the widow gravely, "I am not at all in favour of it."