Just as I was looking up, surprised at his tone more than his words, there came a burst of music, and part of the wall, with the platform on which the Genie and his Lamp had been standing, rolled away. The other big room of the cellar was revealed, with quantities of little tables all laid out for supper, and the walls covered with smilax and roses. In the middle of this new room was a huge illuminated ship of ice, in a green sea. Everybody exclaimed and laughed in their surprise at such an unexpected transformation. Now was the time for unmasking, of course, and there were shrieks of surprise and amusement as people discovered who their companions really were. For a minute--I'm sure it couldn't have been more--I forgot Mr. Brett, to stare at the great glittering ice ship. When I turned to speak to him, he was gone. And whether he vanished on purpose, because he didn't want to unmask in a company of strange people, or whether he was separated from me by the sudden press of the crowd, I don't know. I suppose I shall never know. I only know that I lost him, and that I was immediately surrounded by other men, saying nice things about my costume, wanting me to have supper with them, and asking me for dances afterwards. [Illustration: "_When I turned to speak to him he was gone ... and I was immediately surrounded by other men asking me for dances_"] The rest of the night went by with a wild rush. We didn't stop dancing till four, we young people; and I believe the older ones played bridge. We had a second supper served upstairs towards dawn, and when the last people went away, it was broad and glorious daylight. "Well, deah," said Sally, cosily, when everyone had gone, and she had come into my room to help me undress. "Had you a good time?" "Splendid!" said I, sighing with joy. "I'm dancing still--in my head. My first ball!" "Katherine doesn't call it a ball. But that's a detail. Had you any proposals?" "Oh, Sally, how came you to think of such a thing? But isn't it _too_ extraordinary? I had three." "Why extraordinary?" "Because I hardly knew the men!" "Americans make up their minds quickly about what they want." "So Mr. P--So I've been told." "Accept anyone?" "Not I." "Didn't even give them a wee mite of hope?" "Dear me, no." "Poor Potter--for one." "Sally, I do wish he _wouldn't_--do that sort of thing, since you speak of it. It makes it so embarrassing. And somehow, I don't feel he really means it. I've always the impression that--that he does it because he thinks he ought." "He'd like to marry you, Betty. There's no doubt of that. And one can't blame him for it." "Well, if he keeps on, I shall be driven away," I said. "Although they don't _want_ me to go home yet, for--for several reasons. I don't want to go, either. I'm having a wonderful experience. But----" "Haven't you met any man you could imagine yourself caring for, deah? Or, perhaps, you don't fancy Americans."