He had never proposed to her or even intimated it was his intention to do so, but she conceived a powerful desire to win him and had never abandoned this motive when he grew cold and appeared to desert her.

Just now he was recently back from Italy, where he had passed several months, and Diana's reception was his first reappearance in society.

The girl had planned to bring him to her side this evening and intended to exert her strongest fascinations to lure him back to his former allegiance; so her annoyance may be guessed when she found her three _protegees_ seemingly more familiar with the young man than was she herself.
At last the line ended and the introductions were complete.

The _debutantes_ were at once the center of interested groups composed of those who felt it a duty or pleasure to show them attention.

Diana wandered to the music room and waylaid Arthur Weldon, who was just about to make his escape from the house, having decided it was impossible to find an opportunity to converse with Louise that evening.
"I'm so glad you came, Arthur," she said, a quick glance assuring her they were not overheard.