Already a continuous stream of guests was trickling in through the canopy from the curb to the Dodge door, carriages and automobiles arriving and leaving amid great gaping from the crowd on the sidewalk.

As I entered the ballroom it was really a brilliant and picturesque assemblage.  Of course I recognized Elaine in spite of her mask, almost immediately.

Characteristically, she was talking to the one most striking figure on the floor, a tall man in red—­a veritable Mephistopheles.  As the music started, Elaine and his Satanic Majesty laughingly fox-trotted off but were not lost to me in the throng.

I soon found myself talking to a young lady in a spotted domino.  She seemed to have a peculiar fascination for me, yet she did not monopolize all my attention.  As we trotted past the door, I could see down the hall.  Jennings was still admitting late arrivals, and I caught a glimpse of one costumed as a gray friar, his cowl over his head and his eyes masked.

Chatting, we had circled about to the conservatory.  A number of couples were there and, through the palms, I saw Elaine and Mephisto laughingly make their way.

As my spotted domino partner and I swung around again, I happened to catch another glimpse of the gray friar.  He was not dancing, but walking, or rather stalking, about the edge of the room, gazing about as if searching for some one.

In the conservatory, Elaine and Mephisto had seated themselves in the breeze of an open window, somewhat in the shadow.

“You are Miss Dodge,” he said earnestly.

“You knew me?” she laughed.  “And you?”

He raised his mask, disclosing the handsome face and fascinating eyes of Del Mar.

“I hope you don’t think I’m here in character,” he laughed easily, as she started a bit.

“I—­I—­well, I didn’t think it was you,” she blurted out.

“Ah—­then there is some one else you care more to dance with?”

“No—­no one—­no.”

“I may hope, then?”

He had moved closer and almost touched her hand.  The pointed hood of the gray friar in the palms showed that at last he saw what he sought.

“No—­no.  Please—­excuse me,” she murmured rising and hurrying back to the ballroom.

A subtle smile spread over the gray friar’s masked face.

Of course I had known Elaine.  Whether she knew me at once I don’t know or whether it was an accident, but she approached me as I paused in the dance a moment with my domino girl.

“From the—­sublime—­to the ridiculous,” she cried excitedly.

My partner gave her a sharp glance.  “You will excuse me?” she said, and, as I bowed, almost ran off to the conservatory, leaving Elaine to dance off with me.

. . . . . . .

Del Mar, quite surprised at the sudden flight of Elaine from his side, followed more slowly through the palms.