"Will you help this gentleman to find the box he is in search of, Dennis? The place is so dark now the curtain is down, and he does not see the mistake he has made." "No, that's it," said the young man. "Ah, here you are, then, at last," he cried, as the entrance was darkened by another figure. "Come in. This gentleman wants to find some friends of his, and he has come to this box by mistake." "Indeed!" and Chester at that one word felt the blood surge up to his temples, and a fierce sensation of passion began to make his nerves tingle. "Well," continued the speaker, "it's very easy, dear boy. Places are so confoundedly dark. Couldn't get here sooner, girls; man detained me at the club--I beg pardon, sir; the box-keeper could no doubt help you." The cool, contemptuous manner of the man took away Chester's breath, and he felt himself almost compelled to give place. "Thanks, much," said the newcomer, drawing slightly aside for Chester to back out. "Don't apologise. They ought to light up the house more when the curtain is down." The next moment the door was thrust to, the catch snapped, and as Chester stood there, undecided what to do, he could hear the voices within carrying on a conversation which sounded so calm and matter-of-fact that in his excited state the listener asked himself whether he was in his right senses, and at last hurried away, to pause in the refreshment-room and drink off a glass of brandy to steady his nerves. He did not return to his seat in the stalls, but stopped in the entry, where, invisible in the gloom, partially hidden by one of the curtains, he stood using his glass upon the occupants of the box he had so lately quitted. As he stood there, feeling half stunned, he went over the words that had passed and the action of the inmates, forgetting that all was quite consistent with the conduct he might have expected from people whose whole behaviour had been mysterious and strange. At last he saw a movement among those he was watching, and, desperate almost with rage and despair, he hurried round to station himself in the lobby, where he felt certain that the party must pass. But they were so long in coming that he was about to seek another doorway. Then he saw that he was right, for the big, bluff-looking brother and cousin came by without seeing him, spoke to the footman Chester had seen at the house, and then returned, as if to join their party. A few minutes later they came out slowly amongst the crowd, the tide turning them quite to the outside, so that they were close to him who watched them intently, as if in doubt of his own sanity, wondering whether he could have made any mistake. "No," he whispered to himself, as he fixed his eyes on the beautiful woman, upon whose arm he could have laid his hand, so close was she to him as she passed.