“Congratulate me, Jasper.  What do you think of her?”

It was Tom’s voice beside me.  Congratulate him!  I felt the meanest among men.

“She is—­glorious,” I stammered.

“I knew you would say so.  Unbeliever, did ever man see such eyes?  Confess now, what are Claire’s beside them?”

“Claire’s—­are—­much the same.”

“Why, man, Claire’s were deep grey but a day or two ago, and Clarissa’s are the brownest of brown; but of course you cannot see from here.”

Alas!  I knew too surely the colour of Claire’s eyes, so like brown in the blaze of the foot-lights.  And her height—­Tom had only seen her walk in tragic buskin.  How fatally easy had the mistake been!

“Tom, your success is certain now.”

“Yes, thanks to her.  They were going to damn the play before she entered.  I could see it.  Did you see, Jasper?  She looked this way for a moment.  Do you think she meant to encourage me?  By the way, have you caught sight of Claire yet?”

Oh, Tom, Tom, let me spare you for this night!  My heart throbbed and something in my throat seemed choking me as I muttered, “Yes.”

“Then do not stay congratulating me, but fly.  Success spoils the lover.  Ah, Jasper, if only Clarissa had summoned me!  Hasten:  I will keep my eye upon you and smile approval on your taste.  Where is she?”

Again something seemed to catch me by the throat; I was struggling to answer when I heard a voice behind me say, “For you, sir,” and a note was thrust into my hand.  With beating heart I opened it, expecting to see Claire’s handwriting.  But the note was not from her.  It was scribbled hastily with pencil in a bold hand, and ran thus:—­

    “An old friend wishes to see you.  Come, if you have time. 
     Box No. 7.”

At first I thought the message must have reached me by mistake, but it was very plainly directed to “J.  Trenoweth, Esq.”  I looked around for the messenger but found him gone, and fell to scanning the boxes once more.

As before, they were filled with strangers; and, as before, the black and yellow fan was waving slowly to and fro, as though the hand that wielded it was no hand at all, but rather some untiring machine.  Still the owner remained invisible.  I hesitated, reflected a moment, and decided that even a fool’s errand was better than enduring the agony of Tom’s rapture.  I rose.

“I will be back again directly,” I said, and then left him.

Still pondering on the meaning of this message, I made my way down the passages until I came to the doors of the boxes, and stopped opposite that labelled “No. 7.”  As I did so, it struck me that this, from its position, must be the one which contained the black and yellow fan.  By this time thoroughly curious, I knocked.

“Come in,” said a low voice which I seemed to remember.

I entered and found myself face to face with the yellow woman—­the mistress of the gambling-hell.