Her partner was Captain De Stancy.
The discovery of this latter fact slightly obscured his appreciation of what he had discovered just before.

It was with rather a lowering brow that he asked himself whether Paula's predilection d'artiste, as she called it, for the De Stancy line might not lead to a predilection of a different sort for its last representative which would be not at all satisfactory.
The architect remained in the background till the dance drew to a conclusion, and then he went forward.

The circumstance of having met him by accident once already that day seemed to quench any surprise in Miss Power's bosom at seeing him now.

There was nothing in her parting from Captain De Stancy, when he led her to a seat, calculated to make Somerset uneasy after his long absence.

Though, for that matter, this proved nothing; for, like all wise maidens, Paula never ventured on the game of the eyes with a lover in public; well knowing that every moment of such indulgence overnight might mean an hour's sneer at her expense by the indulged gentleman next day, when weighing womankind by the aid of a cold morning light and a bad headache.
While Somerset was explaining to Paula and her aunt the reason of his sudden appearance, their attention was drawn to a seat a short way off by a fluttering of ladies round the spot.