“I am at your disposal,” he replied gallantly.  And shortly they were gone.

Polly walked home with Miss Sterling.  David was devoting himself to Patricia.  Polly’s gay mood had passed and left her quiet and pensive.  Only commonplaces were spoken—­Miss Castlevaine was just ahead, and her ears were sharp.  Miss Sterling knew that as soon as the seclusion of the third-floor corner room was reached Polly’s heart would overflow in confidences.

“Will you come in?” For Polly had stopped at the entrance.

“Yes.”  A step forward.  “N-no, I guess I won’t—­yes, I will, too!”

Miss Castlevaine looked round with a short laugh.  “What’s the matter, Polly?  Lost your beau?”

“No, he’s lost me!” was the quick retort.

“Oh, is that it?”

“Yes, Miss Castlevaine, that is precisely it!” A warning flush was on Polly’s cheeks.  “Thank you, Miss Nita, I’ll go up for a little while,” she said.

With a shrug and a little “Huh!” the descendant of the duchess passed on.

The door clicked shut, and Polly dropped into a rocker, tossing aside her hat and coat.

“What shall I do with David?” she sighed.  “He barely nodded to me to-day!”

“I presume I should cruelly let him alone.”

“Then ’twould be good-bye, David!  He’d never, never, never take the first step!  And I like David!” Polly caught her breath.

“Poor little girl!  I’m sorry!” Miss Sterling knelt beside her and threw an arm about her.

Polly began to sob.  “I thought—­he’d be decent this afternoon!  I haven’t—­done a single thing!”

“No, you haven’t!” agreed Miss Sterling.  “And for that reason when he has thought it over long enough I believe he will see how foolish he has been.”

“But he won’t give in!” declared Polly, wiping her eyes.  “Well, I can’t go to him and say, ‘Please forgive me!’ when I haven’t done anything!  I guess I’ll let him gloom it out!  There, that’s settled!  Now let’s talk about you!” She stroked Miss Sterling’s hair, and smiled.

“You just ought to have seen you two dancing together!” she broke out in a lively tone.

“Pity there couldn’t have been a long mirror set up somewhere!” replied Miss Sterling.

“Well, you did look lovely!” Polly went on, ignoring the retort.

“Do you mean each of us separately or only when we were in company?” asked the other gravely.

“Oh, now, don’t you make fun of me!  I know what I’m talking about!  Doodles said you were the best dancers he ever saw!”

“And he has seen so many!” murmured Miss Sterling.

Polly tossed her head in disapproval, but continued, “I was so in hopes he would have time to ask you to go to ride—­and then she had to hurry him up!  It sounded exactly as if she were jealous!”

“He invited me,” said Miss Sterling quietly.

“Oh, he did?” The voice was joyful.  “When are you going?”