white domino moved quickly
away towards the crowd. Alexander sprang forward, and would have
followed, but Hermione crossed his path, and laid her hand on his
sleeve.

"Will you give me your arm, Alexander?" she said, quietly, in her
natural way.

He stopped short, stared at her, and then broke into a short, half-angry
laugh. But he gave her his arm, and walked by her side, with an
expression of bewilderment and annoyance on his beautiful face. Hermione
was too wise to say that she had overheard the conversation, and
Alexander was ashamed to own that he had made a mistake, and taken some
one else for her. But by making herself known Hermione had effectually
annulled whatever false impression Chrysophrasia had made upon him.

"Do you know who that lady in the white domino is, with whom I was
talking a moment ago? Did you see her?" he asked, rather nervously.

"It is our beloved aunt Chrysophrasia," said Hermione, calmly.

"Good heavens! Aunt Chrysophrasia!" exclaimed Alexander, in some horror.

"Why 'good heavens'?" inquired Hermione. "Have you been doing anything
foolish? I am sure you have been making love to her. Tell me about it."

"There is nothing to tell. But what a wonderful disguise! How many
dances will you give me? May I have the cotillon?"

"You may have a quadrille," answered Hermione.

"A quadrille, two waltzes, and the cotillon. That will do very well. As
nobody knows you in that domino, we can dance as often as we please, and
you will only be seen with me in the cotillon. What is your costume? I
am sure it is something wonderful."

"How you run on!" exclaimed the young girl. "You do not give one the
time to refuse one thing before you take another!"

"That is the best way, and you know it," answered Alexander, laughing.
"A man should never give a woman time to refuse. It is the greatest
mistake that can be imagined."

"Did aunt Chrysophrasia refuse to dance with you?" inquired Hermione.

Alexander bit his lip, and a faint color rose in his transparent skin.

"Aunt Chrysophrasia is a hard-hearted old person," he replied,
evasively; but he almost shuddered at the thought that under the white
domino there had lurked the green eyes and the faded, sour face of his
aesthetic relative.

"To think that even she should have resisted you!" exclaimed Hermione,
wickedly.

"Better she than you," said Alexander, lowering his tone as they passed
near a group of persons who chattered loudly in feigned v