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While Hugh Henfrey was travelling along that winding road over high headlands and down steep gradients to the sea which stretched the whole length of the Italian Riviera, Dorise Ransco to enjoy herself areat bal blanc is always one of the most important events of the Nice season, and everyone of note wintering on the Riviera was there, yet all carefully h froirl re theof serpentines and confetti

"I don't know He certainly ought to have letnearly half an hour, as he did," her irl did not reply The truth was that while her h's appearance, she had gone to the telephone and inquired for Mr Henfrey Walter Brock had spoken to her

"I'm awfully sorry, Miss Ranscoh can be I've just been up to his rooh he had suddenly discarded it and gone out Nobody noticed hio out So he must have left by the staff entrance"

"That's very curious, isn't it?" Dorise remarked

"Very I can't understand it"

"But he proht!"

"Well, Miss Ransco very important must have detained him somewhere"

Walter knew that his friend was suspected by the police, but dared not tell her the truth Hugh's disappearance had caused hiht already be arrested

So Dorise,not to say to her mother that she had telephoned to the Pale, where they waited a further tento Nice

There are few s in all Europe than the bal blanc The Municipal Casino, at all ti, s spectacle of black and white The carnival colours--the two shades of colour chosen yearly by the International Fetes Committee--are abandoned, and only white is worn

When the trio entered the fun was already in full swing The gay crowd disguised by theiras happily as school children A party of girls dressed as cloere playing leap-frog Another party were dancing in a great and ever-widening ring Girls arh on the shoulders of theirall and sundry as they passed, staid, elderly folk were perfore The very air of the Riviera see, and the constant church-goers at hoaiety, and conduct themselves on the Continental Sabbath in a ust their particular vicar