again. And Mae, though she
had felt the pleased gaze of a good many eyes before, had never quite
put its meaning plainly to herself. She was apt, on such occasions, to
feel high-spirited, excited, joyous, but now she realized well that she
was being admired, and she led on for victory ardently.

She tossed back little sprays of flowers, or quiet bonbons, or now and
then mischievously let drop a sprinkling of confetti balls through her
half-closed fingers. To do this she drooped her hand low over among
the balcony trimmings, following the soft shower with her eyes, as
some straight soldier would wipe the tiny minie balls from his face and
glance up to see where they came from. If he looked up once, he never
failed to look again, and generally darted around the nearest corner
to return with his offering, in the shape of flowers or other pretty
carnival nonsense. Mae rather satisfied her conscience, which was
tolerably fast asleep for the time being, at any rate, with the fact
that she didn't smile at these strangers--she only looked!

Her pleasure was heightened by the knowledge that she was watched. If
she glanced across quickly, Miss Rae's eyes were invariably fixed on her
and Norman Mann would be gazing in the opposite direction in the most
suspicious manner. From above her strange friend leaned over admiringly
and once, as Mae looked joyously upwards, clapped her white hands softly
together, while beyond her a tall figure stood motionless, Mae had
pretended not to see Bero yet, but as the Italian applauded her in this
gentle manner, her eyes sought his involuntarily. He was gazing very
fixedly and rapturously down on her, without any apparent thought of the
beautiful girl by his side. After that, Mae looked up often, in a glad,
childlike way, for spite of this first lesson in wholesale coquetry, and
the new conflict of emotions within her mind, she was enjoying herself
with the utter abandon of her glad nature.

Toward the close of the afternoon, the Italian was suddenly surrounded
by a great mass of flowers, over which she waved her hand caressingly
and pointed down at Mae. "For you," the gesture seemed to say. The
veiled lady appeared to summon several of her friends, for a number of
gentlemen left the other window and its group of girls, and began the
difficult task of attempting to toss the bouquets from their height down
to Mae. This was rendered the more difficult as the Madden balcony was
covered, and the bes