"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