Laughing, she stopped with the music, and on an impulse of sheer mischief guided him toward the exclusive young person who had once made her unhappy at the Country Club, one Miss Emily Carmichael. She was not too exclusive, it appeared, to come to the Darcy ball; which she did not seem to be thoroughly enjoying, however. "Ask her to dance--she needs it," murmured Joan _sotto voce_ as they approached. "Sure thing," replied Archibald; and as soon as Joan had pronounced the formula: "Miss Carmichael, Mr. Blair," he said promptly, "Be pleased to have the pleasure of the next turn, Miss Carmichael." Joan went off with another partner, chuckling. She felt that scores were even. Blair's face fell at this desertion. "Oh, but say," he called after her, "can't I dance with you any more?" "Whenever you like! Just come and tap my partner and carry me off as you did before. But," she added with a parting twinkle, "I don't believe I'd call him 'old top' again!" Archibald flushed and understood. "All right," he said meekly. "I'll just call him 'Say,' instead." He tapped her partner with some frequency after that, though not often enough to be annoying; and Joan also noticed amusedly that he danced a great deal with Miss Carmichael, who seemed quite willing. Exclusiveness was evidently in abeyance at a ball. Sometimes when they passed each other she called out pleasantly, "Having a good time, débutant?" and he answered in the vernacular of the moment, "Fine and dandy!" She said, during one of their brief turns together, "You seem to be getting on beautifully with that girl I introduced you to." "Who? Miss Carmichael? She's all to the mustard, isn't she! Asked me to come and eat supper with her to-night." "She did?" exclaimed Joan, surprised. "Yes. You see I know her brother--put on gloves with him sometimes at the Y. M. C. A. And it seems he's told her about me," explained Archie. "Oh!" Joan looked with new interest at his broad shoulders, his straight, supple back. She understood suddenly the lift and spring and untiring ease of his dancing, which was not grace exactly, but something just as good. He was an athlete. She began to feel quite pleased with her protégé. With a little pruning as to speech and general behavior, he would make a rather presentable ballroom adjunct. His manner with women was really nice. One other besides Joan watched Archie's progress with interest. At the door of the dressing-room Ellen Neal, in her Sunday costume of claret-colored serge with collar and cuffs of homemade Battenberg lace, gazed proudly out upon the scene of her nurseling's triumphs, having been unable to resist Mrs. Darcy's invitation to assist on so memorable an occasion. She had removed countless evening wraps and carriage slippers, assisted deftly, albeit with prim lips, at the powdering of countless backs and bosoms, and now followed with adoring eyes a certain slim blue figure that appeared and disappeared among the dancers.