"But with nothing to laugh at?" The thought of laughing at nothing made
her laugh a little on the spot.

"We will make something to laugh at," said the Cavalier; "we will unmask
to each other, and when we find each other first cousins, the laugh will
come of itself."

"Ah! we will unmask?--no! I have no cousins. I am certain we are
strangers."

"Then we will laugh to think that I paid for the disappointment."

Much more of this childlike badinage followed, and by and by they came
around again to the same last statement. Another little laugh escaped
from the cowl.

"You will pay? Let us see; how much will you give to the sick and
destitute?"

"To see who it is I am laughing with, I will give whatever you ask."

"Two hundred and fifty dollars, cash, into the hands of the managers!"

"A bargain!"

The Monk laughed, and her chaperon opened her eyes and smiled
apologetically. The Cavalier laughed, too, and said:

"Good! That was the laugh; now the unmasking."