left ear.  Mr. Lynch, haunted by the idea that he had not made himself agreeable to Alice during dinner, sat down beside her.  Mr. Scully made a rush for May.  Tall, handsome Captain Hibbert, with his air of conventional high style, quitted Lord Dungory, and asked Olive what they had been saying since they left the dining-room.  Mr. Burke tried to join in the conversation, but Mr. Ryan, thinking it would be as well not to let the occasion slip of speaking of a certain ’bay harse who’d jump anythin’,’ took him confidentially by the sleeve.

‘Now, look here, will yer,’ he began.  The rest of his remarks were lost in the hum of the conversation, and by well-bred transitions observations were made on the dancing and hunting prospects of the season.  Mr. Adair took no interest in such subjects, and to everyone’s relief he remained silent.  May and Fred Scully had withdrawn to a corner of the room where they could talk more at their ease; Captain Hibbert was conscious of nothing but Olive and her laughter, which rippled and tinkled through an odour of coffee.

Little by little she was gaining the attention of the room.  Mr. Adair ceased to listen to Lord Dungory, who was explaining why Leonardo da Vinci was a greater painter than Titian.  Mr. Lynch left off talking to Alice; the little blonde honourable looked sillier and sillier as his admiration grew upon him.  Mrs. Barton, to hide her emotion, engaged in an ardent discussion concerning the rearing of calves with Mrs. Gould.  Lady Sarah bit her lip, and, unable to endure her enemy’s triumph any longer, she said in her most mellifluous tone: 

‘Won’t you sing us something, Captain Hibbert?’

’Well, really, Lady Sarah, I should be very glad, but I don’t think, you know—­I am not sure I could manage without my music.’

’I shall be very glad to accompany you.  I think I know In the Gloaming, and I have heard you sing that.’

Olive, at a sign from her mother, entreated, and when the gallant Captain rolled from under the brown-gold moustache the phrase, ’Oh, my darling!’ all strove not to look at her, and when he dropped his voice to a whisper, and sang of his aching heart, a feeling prevailed that all were guilty of an indiscretion in listening to such an intimate avowal.  Then he sang two songs more, equally filled with reference to tears, blighted love, and the possibility of meeting in other years, and Olive hung down her head, overcome by the fine sentiments which she felt were addressed to her.

Meanwhile Alice became aware that her sister was the object of all eyes and thoughts; that she was gaining the triumph that men are agreed may be desired by women without impropriety.  Alice was a healthy-bodied girl; her blood flowed as warm as in her sister.  The men about her did not correspond with her ideal, but this scarcely rendered the fact that they neglected her less bitter.  She asked Lady Sarah again if she might go upstairs and see Cecilia.