” You look dazzling,” he said.

” Thank you. I am glad to surprise you.”

“I’m not in the least surprised. I always knew how you could look, given the chance.”

” You always know how to pay the compliment.”

” To you I always say what I mean. One thing I have not yet said to you, and that is A happy Christmas.”

” Thank you. I wish you the same. “

” Let us make it so for each other. I have brought no gift for you.”

” But why should you?”

” Because it is Christmas, and a pleasant custom for friends to exchange gifts.”

” But not for …”

” Please … please … no reminders of governessing tonight. One day I am going to give you Jacinth, you know. She is meant for you. I see Connan is about to open the ball. Will you partner me?”

” Thank you, yes.”

” It’s the traditional dance, you know.”

” I don’t know it.”

” It’s easy. You only have to follow me.” He began humming the tune to me. ” Haven’t you seen it done before?”

” Yes, through the peep in the solarium at the last ball.”

” Ah, that last ball! We danced together. But Connan cut in, didn’t he?”

” It was somewhat unconventional.”

” Very, for our governess. I’m really surprised at her.”

The music had begun, and Connan was walking into the centre of the hall holding Celestine by the hand. To my horror I realised that Peter and I would have to join them and dance those first few bars with them.

I tried to hold back, but Peter had me firmly by the hand. Celestine was surprised to see me there; but if Connan was he gave no sign. I imagined that Celestine reasoned: It is all very well to ask the governess as it Is Christmas. But should she immediately thrust herself into such a prominent position?

However, I believed her to be of too sweet a nature to show her astonishment after that first start of surprise. She gave me a warm smile.

I said : “I shouldn’t be here. I don’t really know the dance.

I didn’t realise . “

” Follow us,” said Connan.

” We’ll look after you,” echoed Peter.

And in a few seconds the others were falling in behind us.

Round the hall we went to the tune of The Furry Dance.

” You’re doing excellently,” said Connan with a smile as our hands touched.

” You will soon be a Cornishwoman,” added Celestine. ” And why not?” demanded Peter. ” Are we not the salt of the earth?”

” I am not sure that Miss Leigh thinks so,” replied Connan. ” I am becoming very interested in all the customs of the country,” I added.

” And in the inhabitants, I hope,” whispered Peter. We danced on. It was simple enough to learn, and when it was over I knew all the movements.

As the last bars were played I heard someone to say: ” Who is the striking-looking young woman who danced with Peter Nansellock?”

I wanted for the answer to be: ” Oh, that’s the governess.” But it was different: ” I’ve no idea. She certainly is … unusual.”

I was exultant. I doubt that I had ever been so happy in my life.

I knew that in the time to come I should treasure every minute of that wonderful evening, for I was not only at the ball, I was a success at the ball.

I did not lack partners; and, even when I was forced to admit that I was the governess, I continued to receive the homage due to an attractive woman. What had happened to change me, I wondered. Why couldn’t I have been like this at Aunt Adelaide’s parties? But if I had, I should never have come to Mount Mellyn.

Then I knew why I had not been like this. It was not only the green dress, the amber comb and the diamond brooch; I was in love, and love was the greatest beautifier of all.

Never mind if I was ridiculously, hopelessly in love. I was like Cinderella at the ball, determined to enjoy myself until the stroke of twelve.

A strange thing happened while I was dancing. I was with Sir Thomas Treslyn, who turned out to be a courteous old gentleman, a little wheezy during the dance so I suggested that he might prefer to sit out the rest of it. He was very grateful to me and I felt quite fond of him. I was ready to be fond of anyone on that night.

He said: ” I’m getting a little too old for the dance. Miss er …”

” Leigh,” I said. ” Miss Leigh. I’m the governess here, Sir Thomas.”

” Oh indeed,” he said. ” I was going to say. Miss Leigh, it is extremely kind of you to think of my comfort when you must be longing to dance.”

” I’m quite happy to sit for a while.”

” I see that you are kind as well as very attractive.”

I remembered Phillida’s instructions and accepted the compliments nonchalantly as though I had been accustomed to them all my life.

He was relaxed and confidential. ” It’s my wife who likes to come to these affairs. She has so much vitality.”

” Ah yes,” I said, ” she is very beautiful.”

I had noticed her, of course, the very moment I entered the ballroom; she was in pale mauve chiffon over an underskirt of green; she evidently had a passion for chiffon and such dinging materials, and it was understandable considering her figure; she wore quantities of diamonds. The mauve toning down the green was exquisite and I wondered

whether my own vivid j emerald was not a little blatant compared with hers. She looked outstandingly beautiful, as she would in any assembly.

He nodded, a little sadly I thought.

And as I sat talking, my eyes, wandering round the hall, went suddenly to the peep high in the wall, that star-shaped opening which merged so perfectly into the murals that none would have guessed it was there.

Someone was watching the ball through the peep, but it was impossible to see who it was.

I thought: Of course it is Alvean. Did she not always watch the ball through the peep? Then I was suddenly startled for, as I was sitting there, watching the dancers, I saw Alvean. I had forgotten that this was a special occasion—Christmas Day—and just as, on such a day, the governess might come to the ball, so might Alvean.

She was dressed in a white muslin dress with a wide blue sash and I saw that she wore the silver whip pinned to the bodice of her dress.

All these things I noticed with half my attention. I looked swiftly up to the peep. The face, unrecognisable, indefinable, was still there.

Supper was served in the dining room and the punch room. There was a buffet in both these rooms and guests helped themselves, for according to custom the servants on this day of days were having their own ball in their own hall.

I saw, that these people who so rarely waited on themselves now found it quite good fun to do so. Piled on dishes were the results of all that kitchen activity; small pies of various kinds, called here pasties—not the enormous ones which were eaten frequently in the kitchen, but dainty ones. There were slices of beef, and chicken and fish of various descriptions. There was a great bowl of hot punch; another of mulled wine; there was mead, whisky and sloe gin.

Peter Nansellock, with whom I had had the supper dance, led me into the punch room. Sir Thomas Treslyn was already there with Celestine, and Peter led me to the table at which they were sitting.

” Leave it to me,” he said. ” I’ll feed you all” I said: ” Allow me to help you.”

“Nonsense,” he replied.

“You. remain with Celeste.” He whispered banteringly: ” You’re not the governess tonight, Miss Leigh; you’re a lady like the rest of them. Don’t forget it; then no one else will. “

But I was determined that I would not be waited on and I insisted on going to the buffet with him, ” Pride,” he murmured, slipping his hand through my arm. ” Wasn’t that the sin by which fell the angels?”

” It may have been ambition; I am not sure.”

” Well, I’ll warrant you’re not without a dash of that either. Never mind. What will you eat? Perhaps it is as well you came. Our Cornish food often seems odd to you foreigners from the other side of the Tamar.”

He began loading one of the trays which had been put there in readiness.

” Which sort of pie will you have? Giblet, squab, nattling or muggety?

Ha, here’s taddage too. I can recommend the squab: layers of apple and bacon, onions and mutton and young pigeon. The most delicious Cornish fare. “

” I’m ready to try it,” I said.

” Miss Leigh,” he went on, ” Martha … has anyone ever told you that your eyes are like amber?”

” Yes,” I answered.

” Has anyone ever told you you’re beautiful?”

“No.”

“Then that oversight should be and is’re citified immediately.”

I laughed and at that moment Connan came into the room with Lady Treslyn.

She sat down with Celestine, and Connan came over to the buffet.

“I am enlightening Miss Leigh about our Cornish food. She doesn’t know what a fair maid’ is. Is that not odd. Con, seeing that she is one herself?”

Connan looked excited; his eyes smiling into mine were warm. He said:

” Fair maids, Miss Leigh, is another name for pilchards served like this with oil and lemon.” He took a fork and put some on two plates. ” It is a contraction of the old Spanish fumado, and we always say here that it is food fit for a Spanish don.”

” A relic, Miss Leigh,” interrupted Peter, ” of those days when the Spaniards raided our shores and took too great an interest in another kind of fair maid.”

Alvean had come in and was standing beside me. I thought she looked tired.

” You should be in bed,” I said.

” I’m hungry,” she told me.

” After supper we’ll go up.”