Please, Graydon." Her tone was so urgent, and she appeared so weak, that he complied at once, saying, with much compunction, "I should not have left you alone so long, but supposed you were amusing yourself by looking at the people." She did not trust herself to reply.

Her one thought was to reach the refuge of her own apartment, and to this end she concentrated her failing energies.

The climb to the ladies' dressing-room was a desperate effort; but when she was once outside the house the cold, pure air revived her slightly.
"You can excuse me to our hostess--she will not care," she faltered, and it seemed to her then that nobody would care.

Miss Wildmere's glance had conveyed the estimate of society.

If she could believe herself first in Graydon's thoughts she would not be cast down, but now the truth was overwhelming.
She leaned away from him in the corner of the carriage, but he put his strong arm round her and drew her to his breast.