of the foolish crowd. The professor was clad as became a professor.
Myself, I wore a simply-cut frock-coat, with trousering in French
grey. The doorkeeper explained to us that this was a costume ball;
he was sorry, but gentlemen could only be admitted in evening dress
or in masquerade.

It was half past one in the morning. We had sat up late on purpose;
we had gone without our dinner; we had walked two miles. The
professor suggested pinning up the tails of his clerically-cut coat
and turning in his waistcoat. The doorkeeper feared it would not be
quite the same thing. Besides, my French grey trousers refused to
adapt themselves. The doorkeeper proposed our hiring a costume--a
little speculation of his own; gentlemen found it simpler sometimes,
especially married gentlemen, to hire a costume in this manner,
changing back into sober garments before returning home. It reduced
the volume of necessary explanation.

"Have you anything, my good man," said the professor, "anything that
would effect a complete disguise?"

The doorkeeper had the very thing--a Chinese arrangement, with
combined mask and wig. It fitted neatly over the head, and was
provided with a simple but ingenious piece of mechanism by means of
which much could be done with the pigtail. Myself the doorkeeper hid
from view under the cowl of a Carmelite monk.

"I do hope nobody recognises us," whispered my friend the professor
as we entered.

I can only hope sincerely that they did not. I do not wish to talk