He was shiftless and drunken ; ugly tales were told of him . Not a man in Lyall 's house that night but grudged him the privilege of standing up with Joan Shelley . Joan was a slight , blossom-like girl in white , looking much like the pale , sweet-scented house rose she wore in her dark hair . Her face was colourless and young , very pure and softly curved . She had wonderfully sweet , dark blue eyes , generally dropped down , with notably long black lashes . There were many showier girls in the groups around her , but none half so lovely . She made all the rosy-cheeked beauties seem coarse and over-blown . She left in Paul 's clasp the hand by which he had led her out on the floor . Now and then he shifted his gaze from the faces before him to hers . When he did , she always looked up and they exchanged glances as if they had been utterly alone . Three other couples gradually took the floor and the reel began . Joan drifted through the figures with the grace of a wind-blown leaf . Paul danced with rollicking abandon , seldom taking his eyes from Joan 's face . When the last mad whirl was over , Joan 's brother came up and told her in an angry tone to go into the next room and dance no more , since she would dance with only one man . Joan looked at Paul . That look meant that she would do as he , and none other , told her . Paul nodded easily -- he did not want any fuss just then -- and the girl went obediently into the room . As she turned from him , Paul coolly reached out his hand and took the rose from her hair ; then , with a triumphant glance around the room , he went out . The autumn night was very clear and chill , with a faint , moaning wind blowing up from the northwest over the sea that lay shimmering before the door . Out beyond the cove the boats were nodding and curtsying on the swell , and over the shore fields the great red star of the lighthouse flared out against the silvery sky .
Paul , with a whistle , sauntered down the sandy lane , thinking of XXXXX .
Joan Lyall Paul Shelley clasp hair lashes lighthouse night sea