d quite enough to
do in looking after their own affairs.

None of their intimate friends crossed their path. So the _majo_
succeeded in leading his gypsy unchallenged into the adjoining room,
from which even Schnetz had taken care to steal away.

They walked arm-in-arm, vigorously fanning themselves, down the
flower-decked side of the hall, past the little tables, and stood
suddenly, before they suspected it, before the buffet, which had been
put up at the other end, and before which a number of waiter-girls were
selling cold viands, cake, ice, and various kinds of drinks.

"Will you drink something?" he said.

It was the first word he had addressed to her. It struck him as being
very stupid that he had nothing more important to say to her after such
a long silence. But she did not appear to think it strange at all.

She shook her head quite seriously, drew off her glove, and took a
large orange from one of the plates. "That is better after dancing,"
she said, in a low voice. "Come, let us eat it together."

They seated themselves at one of the small tables, and she drew off the
other glove and began to peel and divide the beautiful fruit with her
white little fingers. But all the while she never looked at him.

"Irene!" he whispered--"is it really possible? You are here--I--we are
so unexpectedly brought together again."

"Not unexpectedly," replied she, in a still lower tone; "I knew that
you would come--and that is the only reason why I came myself. Do you
believe I cared anything for the dancing and the masks? Feeling as I
did--"

Her voice failed her. The tears rose to her eyes. He bent down close to
her, and pressed his lips to the little hands that were so busily at
work.

She gave a slight start. "Oh! don't, please!" she whispered,
pleadingly. "Not here, they can see us. O Felix! is it really true? You
are going away--away forever?"

He did not answer for a moment, but sat absorbed in the happiness of
being so near her, of listening to her voice, of feeling her warm
breath as it came from her sweet lips. A reckless joy took possession
of his heart, an exhilarating determination to face boldly whatever
fate might have in store for him.

"Why talk of such sad things?" said he at length--for she still kept
her anxious gaze fixed upon him, and seemed unable to understand the
joy that lit up his face--"there will be time enough for that later on,
when the ball is over and the intoxication gone, and the