“Oh, bless you, no! the cream of it is to come.  What would you give to know who the lady was?”

“Five dollars, down, this minute.”

“Very good, hand ’em over, and I’ll tell you.”

“Truly, Dick?”

“Yes, and prove it.”

Dolly produced her purse, and, bill in hand, sat waiting for the disclosure.  Dick rose with a melo-dramatic bow,—­

“Lo, it was I.”

“That’s a great fib, for I saw you flying about the whole evening.”

“You saw my dress, but I was not in it.”

“Oh! oh! who did I keep going to, then? and what did I do to make a fool of myself, I wonder?”

Purse and bill dropped out of Dolly’s hand, and she looked at her brother with a distracted expression of countenance.  Dick rubbed his hands and chuckled.

“Here’s a jolly state of things.  Now I’ll tell you the whole story.  I never thought of doing it till I saw Bopp and told him who you were; but on my way for Fan I wondered if he’d get puzzled between you two; and then a grand idea popped into my head to puzzle him myself, for I can take you off to the life.  Fan didn’t want me to, but I made her, so she lent me hoops and gown and the pink domino, and if ever I thanked my stars I wasn’t tall, I did then, for the things fitted capitally as to length, tho’ I kept splitting something down the back, and scattering hooks and eyes in all directions.  I wish you could have heard Jack roar while they rigged me.  He had no dress, so I lent him mine, till just before the masks were taken off, when we cut home and changed.  He told me how you kept running to him to tie up your slippers, find your fan, and tell him funny things, thinking it was me.  I never enjoyed anything so much in my life.”

“Go on,” said Dolly in a breathless sort of voice, and the deluded boy obeyed.

“I knew Bopp, and hovered near till he came to find out who I was.  I took you off in style, and it deceived him, for I’m only an inch or two taller than you, and kept my head down in the lackadaisical way you girls do; I whispered, so my voice didn’t betray me; and was very clinging, and sweet, and fluttery, and that blessed old goose was sure it was you.  I thought it was all over once, for when he came the heavy in the recess, I got a bit flustered, he was so serious about it, my mask slipped, but I caught it, so he only saw my eyes and forehead, which are just like yours, and that finished him, for I’ve no doubt I looked as red and silly as you would have done in a like fix.”

“Why did you say No?” and Dolly looked as stern as fate.

“What else should I say?  You told me you wouldn’t have him, and I thought it would save you the bother of saying it, and him the pain of asking twice.  I told him some time ago that you were a born flirt; he said he knew it; so I was surprised to hear him go on at such a rate, but supposed that I was too amiable, and that misled him.  Poor old Bopp, I kept thinking of him all night, as he looked when he said, ’They told me you had no heart, now I believe it, and I thank you for that No.’  It was rather a hard joke for him, but it’s over now, and he won’t have to do it again.  You said I wouldn’t dare tell him about you; didn’t I? and haven’t I won the”—­