s blazing with light and
resounding with music. As the guests were now nearly all assembled, the
gentlemen selected partners and opened the ball with a grand promenade
to the music of the grand march in "Faust."

Introductions are of course unnecessary at private masquerades, as well
as impracticable at all such festivals; so when the ghastly mask "Death"
came up and offered his skeleton arm to Sybil for the promenade, she
unhesitatingly accepted it, supposing him all the while to be one of her
invited guests.

But in joining the promenaders, he entered the circle at a point
immediately in the rear of Harold the Saxon, and Edith the Fair. Death
kept his eye on the two, and speaking in a low voice, inquired of his
companion;

"Beautiful mask! though we may not yet discover ourselves to each other,
yet we are at liberty to form a guess of the identity of our friends
here?"

"Yes," answered Sybil, in a low voice. She scarcely understood what she
had been asked, or what she had answered; for her whole attention was
absorbed in watching her husband and her rival, who were walking
immediately before her--so close, yet so unconscious of her presence; so
near in person, yet so far in spirit!

"--As, for instance, lovely mask," continued Death, "I think I know this
'Fair Edith' as the beautiful blonde who is staying here with our
hostess. Am I not right?"

"Yes," answered Sybil, in the same absent and unconscious manner; for
she really had not the slightest idea of what he had been talking about,
but only a half-conscious instinct that the best and shortest, as well
as the most courteous, way, in which to be rid of him was to agree with
all he said. Her whole attention was still painfully absorbed by the
pair before her.

"But as for the gentleman, Saxon Harold, I do not recognize him at all!
However, he seems to be quite devoted to his fair Edith, as is most
natural! Fair Edith was his best beloved! best beloved? Yes, beloved far
beyond his queen!"

Sybil knew what he was saying now! She was listening to him with her
ears, while she was watching the pair before her with her eyes.

"When Harold's dead body was found on the battle-field, it was not the
queen, but Fair Edith, who was sent for to identify it, and to her it
was given," continued the stranger.

A half-suppressed cry broke from Sybil's lips.

"What is the matter? Are they treading on your feet?" inquired the mask.

"_Some_ one is treading on me," murmu