ed,
and the floor was grouped with dancers. It was evident the affair was a
"success." There were four or five hundred persons present, nearly half
of them ladies. Many were in character costumes, as Tyrolese peasants,
Andalusian _majas_, Bavarian broom-girls, Wallachian boyards, Turkish
sultanas, and bead-bedecked Indian belles. A greater number were
disguised in the ungraceful domino, while not a few appeared in regular
evening dress. Most of the ladies wore masks; some simply hid their
faces behind the coquettish _reboso topado_, while others permitted
their charms to be gazed upon. As the time passed on, and an occasional
_copita de vino_ strengthened the nerves of the company, the uncovered
faces became more numerous, and masks got lost or put away.

As for the gentlemen, a number of them also wore masks--some were in
costume, but uniforms predominated, stamping the ball with a military
character. It was not a little singular to see a number of _Mexican_
officers mingling in the throng! These were of course prisoners on
_parole_; and their more brilliant uniforms, of French patterns,
contrasted oddly with the plain blue dresses of their conquerors. The
presence of these prisoners, in the full glitter of their gold-lace, was
not exactly in good taste; but a moment's reflection convinced one it
was not a matter of choice with them. Poor fellows! had they abided by
the laws of etiquette, they could not have been there; and no doubt they
were as desirous of shaking their legs in the dance as the gayest of
their captors. Indeed, in this species of rivalry they far outstripped
the latter.

I spent but little time in observing these peculiarities; but one idea
engrossed my mind, and that was to find Isolina de Vargas--no easy task
amid such a multitude of maskers.

Among the uncovered faces she was not. I soon scanned them all, or
rather glanced at them. It needed no scanning to recognise hers. If
there, she was one of the _mascaritas_, and I addressed myself to a
close observation of the _dames en costume_ and the dominoes. Hopeless
enough appeared the prospect of recognising her, but a little hope
sustained me in the reflection, that, being myself uncovered, she might
recognise _me_.

When a full half-hour had passed away, and my lynx-like surveillance was
still unrewarded, this hope died within me; and, what may appear
strange, I began to wish she was _not_ there.

"If present," thought I, "she mus