Alpha Book

"Good-bye," she said; "I am not staying for the dance."
"Good-bye," he said pleasantly; "I wish you better fortune for the
future. I'm sorry I was rough."
He was not staying, either. A dull excitement possessed him, resembling
suspense--as though he were awaiting a denouement; as though there was
yet some crisis to come.
Several men leaned forward to talk to him; he heard without heeding,
replied at hazard, lighted his cigar with the others, and leaned back,
his coffee before him--a smiling, attractive young fellow, apparently in
lazy enjoyment of the time and place and without one care in the world
he found so pleasant.
For a while his mind seemed to be absolutely blank; voices were voices
only; he saw lights, and figures moving through a void. Then reality
took shape sharply; and his pulses began again hammering out the
irregular measure of suspense, though what it was that he was awaiting,
what expecting, Heaven alone knew.
And after a while he found himself in the ballroom.


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