At the song’s end, Jane could not help but notice Mr. Dunkirk’s steady gaze. He stood behind his sister’s chair and seemed still lost in the spell of the music. A greater compliment was not possible.

The room spun somewhat, and Jane decided that the wisest course would be to refuse another song, or at least an embellished one, lest she faint at its conclusion. But when Miss Dunkirk asked Jane to explain how she caused the nymphs to surround them, a particularly tricky piece of glamour, Jane could not resist re-creating it, which in turn led to another piece of glamour. Jane found herself shewing the girl how to create folds until they were both breathless and overwarm with their efforts.

Perceiving the strain on Miss Dunkirk’s delicate frame, but glad that some of the melancholy had left her features, Jane said, “You are welcome to return at any time, my dear, and I would be happy to shew you what little I know.”

“We should take our leave, Beth,” Mr. Dunkirk said, “and let the Misses Ellsworths return to their afternoon’s engagement.” He stopped and turned. “But where is Miss Melody?”

Jane suddenly realized that Melody had slipped out of the room without any of them noticing. She sprang to her feet, forgetting the effort she had just expended on glamour. The room spun around her, darkened, and she tumbled to the floor.

A sharp burning odor penetrated Jane’s nostrils, making her sneeze. She opened her eyes. Miss Dunkirk sat on the sofa next to her, passing a small glass vial of smelling salts under her nose. Nancy, the housekeeper, stood behind her, twisting her hands together and bobbing convulsively in a series of curtsies. Across the room, Mr. Dunkirk attended to Jane’s mother, who had collapsed in her chair, as though she had been the one to overextend herself.

Miss Dunkirk said, “She is awake!”

At this, Mrs. Ellsworth roused from her swoon. “Oh, Mr. Dunkirk. What should we have done? What should we have done if you had not been here?”

Jane flushed with sudden understanding. It seemed that Mr. Dunkirk had lifted her to the sofa. She eased herself into a sitting position, careful lest she faint again. “I beg your pardon, Mr. Dunkirk. I am sorry to have troubled you.”

“Not at all, Miss Ellsworth. It is I who should apologize. I fear we took unpardonable advantage of your hospitality.”

Miss Dunkirk’s eyes were wide with upset. “Yes, please forgive us, Miss Ellsworth. I oughtn’t have asked you to play another song, but your playing was so very pretty.”

“No need for forgiveness. I had worked a number of other bits of glamour this morning and quite forgot the amount of strain I had undergone. I should know better than to spring up after a song, so I am far more vexed at myself than at anyone else.”

“Oh, yes,” Mrs. Ellsworth exclaimed, pressing Mr. Dunkirk’s hand. “The fault is entirely Jane’s. You mustn’t give it a moment’s more thought. Truly, you mustn’t.”