"Good," said the man, while at that instant the room suddenly rang with cries: "Go on with the music, the dance is not half over." He extended his arm to the woman again. "Our dance is not finished." "Yes, it is," she said as the flying feet once more twinkled across the polished floor, as everybody took a long breath and a new start apparently unconscious of the pause. "It is over for me. What I saw!" "What did you see?" "I don't know, but I'm going back home to my child. Good-night." * * * * * Yes, the music had stopped suddenly. The man in the farthest alcove turned to his companion. They were hidden by a group of palms. "I wonder why?" queried the woman. She was deathly pale. Her eyes were dark with fear, yet alight with passionate determination. "When it begins," said the man tenderly, "we will slip away. My car is outside. Everything is ready." "That is my husband over there," said the woman. "Yes," said the man, "he won't trouble you any more." "That woman with him is leaving him," she said. "I wonder why." She turned suddenly with a great start. "There is somebody here," she whispered, staring into the back of the alcove. "Nonsense," said the man, throwing a glance around the recess. "There's nobody here but you and I. We are alone together, as we shall be hereafter, when we have taken the step." "But that child," whispered the woman, "with his strange vesture and his wonderful face. His eyes look at me so." "There is no child there, my dear," urged the man; "you are overwrought, excited, nervous. The music starts. Let us go." He stretched out his hand to the woman, but as he came nearer she shrank back with her own hand on her heart. "Oh," she said faintly, "he's gone." "Of course he's gone," he answered soothingly. "Now is our time to get away. Let me--" "No, no," said the woman. "I can't go with you now. It wouldn't be right." "But you knew that before," pleaded the man. "Besides--" "Yes, but I can't do it. He was there! His eyes spoke--I--don't touch me," she said; "I'm going back to my husband. Don't follow." II The Child "SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN TO COME UNTO ME" II The Child The employees had all gone home, carrying with them Christmas checks and hearty greetings from the great man whose beck and nod they followed. He sat in his private office absolutely alone. He had some serious matters to consider and did not want any interruptions. His balance-sheet for the year had been made up according to the custom of the firm before Christmas instead of on New Year's Day. He examined it again. It showed tremendous profit. The mills were turning out quantities of material, the demand for which was greater and the cost of production less than ever before.