"Dear Heaven!" Royal said, under his breath. "No--no--no--that's
not for you!" he murmured. "And yet--" and he turned upon her a
look that Nina was to remember with a thrill in the waking hours
of the summer night--"and yet, is it kindness to wake you up,
child?" he mused. "Is it right to show you the full beauty of that
questing soul of yours?"

It was said as if to himself, as if he thought aloud. But Nina
answered it.

"I often think," she said, mirthfully, "that if people knew what I
was thinking, they'd go crazy! 'Oh, isn't the floor lovely--isn't
the music divine! Are you going to the club to-morrow? What are
you going to wear?'"

It was not a very brilliant imitation of a society girl's tone and
manner, but Royal Blondin seemed deeply impressed by it.

"Look here!" he said. "You're a little actress!"

"No. I'm not!" Nina laughed. "But I can always imitate anything or
anybody," she admitted. "It makes the girls perfectly wild
sometimes! But Ward's different," she resumed, going back to the
more serious topic. "I envy Ward! He is just as different from me
as black and white. Now Ward likes everyone--and everyone likes
him. He just drifts along, perfectly content to be popular, and to
have a good time, and to do the regular thing, and of course he
knows NOTHING of moods--!"