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The Count, as a bad dancer, collided with a sliize

"Oh! la la!" cried the girl to her partner, a stout figure in Mephistophelian garb "An exquisitely polite gentleman that,froo--eh?"

The Count heard it, and was furious Dorise, however, said nothing She was thinking of Hugh's strange disappearance, and how he had broken his word to her

Meanwhile, Lady Ranscoh had been prevented frohter'swith a Mrs Down, the fat wife of a war-profiteer, whose acquaintance she had made in Paris sixthe dance though eager to get back again to Monte Carlo in order to learn the reason of her lover's absence She was devoted to Hugh He was all in all to her

She danced with several partners, having first ht at a certain spot under one of the great palms in the promenade Atmasked, looks so much alike thatmotor-car drew up in the Place before the Casino, and a tall man in a white fancy dress of a cavalier, ide-bri his ticket, passed at once into the crowded ball-roo the crowd of revellers intently, eyeing each of theh the expression on his countenance was hidden by the strip of black velvet

His eyes, shining through the slits in the mask, were, however, dark and brilliant In theerness, for it was apparent that he had come there hot-foot in search of someone In any case he had a difficult task, for in the whirling, laughing, chattering crowd each person resembled the other save for their feet and their stature

It was the feet of the dancers that the tallHe stood in the crowd near the doorith his hand upon his sword-hilt, a striking figure ree eyes were fixed upon the shoes of the dancers, until, of a sudden, he seemed to discover that for which he was in search, andfinished a dance, alking in the direction of the great hall

The stranger never took his eyes off the pair The htly taller than the woman, and the latter wore upon her white kid shoes a pair of old paste buckles It was for those buckles that he had been searching