"Well, my dear, you seemed to be having a tremendous flirtation with that youth," laughed Mrs. Baldwin. "Such a hand-clasp at parting! Don't dance too hard, child." She turned to the half-dozen parents supporting her. "These crazy girls of mine will dance themselves to death if I don't keep an eye on them," she explained. "Amélie says, 'Mother, how can I help splitting my dances, when they beg me to?' I am always relieved when the dance is over and they are safe in bed--then I know they aren't killing themselves. The men have no mercy--they never let them rest an instant."
"I don't see Miss Enid about," suggested Mr. Merritt. "I suppose she and her Harry--!"
"Oh, I suppose so!" Mrs. Baldwin shook her head resignedly. "The bad child insists on being married in the spring, but I simply can not face the idea. What can I do to prevent it, Mrs. Merritt?"
"I am afraid you can't," smiled Mrs. Merritt. "We mothers all have to face that."
"Ah, but not so soon! It is dreadful to have one's girls taken away. I watch the others like a hawk; the instant a man looks too serious--pouf!--I whisk him away!"
Cora stood looking down, with set lips; a flush had risen in her usually pale cheeks. Dora, setting free an impatient partner, joined her and they drew aside.
"It does make me so ashamed!" said Cora, impulsively.
"I think mother really makes herself believe it," said Dora, with instant understanding.
They watched Amélie flutter up to their mother to have a bow retied, and stand radiant under the raillery, though she made a decent pretense of pouting. Her partner vanished, and Mrs. Baldwin insisted on her resting "for one minute," which ended when another partner appeared.
"Amélie is asked much more than we are, always," Cora suggested. Dora nodded at the implication.
"I know. I wonder why it never seems quite real. Perhaps because the devoted ones are such silly little men."
"Or seem to us so," Cora amended conscientiously. "Don't you wish we might creep up-stairs? Oh, me, here comes a man, just hating it! Which do you suppose he will--Oh, thank you, with pleasure, Mr. Dorr!" Cora was led away, and Dora slipped into the next room, that her mother might not be vexed at her partnerless state.