264 KATE'S WINTER IN WASHINGTON.
speak to you last night. I scolded Kate well for not asking you to come with us."
"You were very kind to take so much trouble on my account, " returned Everett, stiffly.
" Ah ! now you needn't be stately, " said Circe, in a plaintive tone. "See how good I have been to you! I have kept Kate away from all those devouring dragons, and made her dance with my husband . I think you might be a little grateful, instead of glaring as if you were the wolf in Red Riding Hood, and meant to eat poor little me."
"I am at a loss to understand why I should be especially grateful, " Everett said, coldly.
"Oh, nonsense! You needn't attempt that with me," returned Mrs. Marsden , shaking her head and laughing gayly. "I know all about it, so you may just as well be frank with me."
"I don't see any necessity either for frankness or reserve, " replied Everett ; and his words would have sounded rude had they not been softened by his tone and manner.
"You are not behaving well to me!" exclaimed Circe, with a bewildering glance from the emerald eyes. " Ah, Harry! we used to be good friends. Why do you dislike and avoid me always now ?"
It was not easy to tell her the truth, that he knew her thoroughly, so Everett answered,
"I was not conscious of having done so. "
" Please don't deny it- I'd rather you were frank. This fall, when I was in New York, you never came near me ; never answered my little note last summer. I don't think it was nice of you, Harry, for when you were here last winter we were such good friends ! Do tell me what I have done?"
Another long, bewitching glance of those dangerous eyes ; but it had no effect whatever on Everett, except to put him more on his guard, and make him feel as if the pretty creature hanging on his arm were a lithesome snake, only waiting an opportunity to sting.
CHAPTER III.
YES, they had been good friends the previous winter, when Everett was in Washington; that is, in plain English, before Everett knew where he was, he found himself involved in a flirtation, from which he extricated himself with considerable difficulty.
There was no wrong where he was concerned, beyond the folly of having said and looked foolish things; but circumstances transpired which made him well acquainted with the real characters of both husband and wife; and he felt that he would rather see Kate dead than the intimate friend of Circe, as people called her; that to behold the girl he loved with Marsden's arm about her waist was a positive degradation, which absolutely made his blood run cold to watch.
And Circe was whispering again in his ear; and sweet as the voice was, it sounded to Everett like a hiss, and he longed to strangle the woman where she stood.
"You haven't asked me to dance, Harry-you used to like to waltz with me, or you said so." "I believe my dancing days are about over, Mrs. Marsden," he answered.
"Mrs. Marsden! So you won't be friends? Oh! what have I done to you, Harry? I suppose I must say Mr. Everett now. "
"I thought we were very good friends," Everett said, ignoring the latter part of her speech.
"When you treat me in such a stately way! No, no, I remember how different you can be! Oh, dear! I'm such a silly little thing-1 never can forget. "
And then a sigh, a quick glance, a slight pressure on his arm, all beautifully done, but wasted, and Circe felt it, and began to hate him accordingly.
"Allow me the pleasure of this waltz," cried she, with a sudden change of manner and a merry laugh. "Leap year, is it not? Oh! you cross old bachelor, I am furious with you ; but you shall dance. "
There was nothing for it but to whirl her off into the ring, of course ; and she lay back in his arms, and looked up in his eyes, and whispered.
"Have you forgotten how jealous Marsden got of our waltzing so much together?”
The recollection made Everett set his teeth hard, and he mentally called Circe the daughter of a dreadful old personage, who lives in a very hot place, and devoutly wished that she might go straight to her natural home.
He believed in his heart that it had been a deliberate plot between husband and wife to force him into paying a lot of money -and he had good reason for his suspicions ; but it had been a failure, and the doughty colonel found himself met in so decided a manner that he had been glad to be the first to retreat, and smooth matters over as well as he was able.
When the dance was ended, Everett got rid of his tormentor and went in search of Kate.
"I owe you many thanks for paying so much regard to your promise of last night, ” said he.
Kate was just getting her breath after the last rapid whirl, and asked, thoughtlessly,
