"I do," and Dick went off into a shout.

"You idiotic boy, take that pillow out of your mouth, and tell me
the whole thing,--what he said, what she said, and what they both
did. It was all fun of course, but I'd like to hear about it."

"It may have been fun on her part, but it was solemn earnest on his,
for he went it strong I assure you. I'd no idea the old fellow was
so sly, for he appeared smashed with you, you know, and there he was
finishing up with this unknown lady. I wish you could have heard him
go on, with tears in his eyes"--

"How do you know if you didn't see him?"

"Oh, well, that's only a figure of speech; I thought so from his
voice. He was ever so tender, and took to Dutch when English was too
cool for him. It was really touching, for I never heard a fellow do
it before; and, upon my word, I should think it was rather a tough
job to say that sort of thing to a pretty woman, mask or no mask."

"What did she say?" asked Dolly, with her hands pressed tight
together, and a curious little quiver of the lips.

"She said, No, as short as pie-crust; and when he rushed out with
his heart broken all to bits apparently, she just burst out
laughing, and went and polked at a two-forty pace for half an hour."

Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. unclasped her hands, took a
long breath, and cried out,--