"I heard Madame de Lormoy say, that, on going one morning to see Madame de Hansfeld, at the Hôtel Lambert, she suddenly heard, near the apartment in which she was, some notes of delicious harmony, played on a finger-organ with exquisite skill. The princess could not repress a movement of impatience; she made a sign to her companion with the dark countenance, who went out instantly, and a few moments afterwards _the sounds ceased!_" "And did not Madame de Lormoy inquire whence those notes of the organ came?" "She did." "And what was the princess's reply?" "That she knew nothing about them--that no doubt it was somewhere in the neighbourhood, that they were playing on this instrument, the sound of which quite unhinged her nerves. Madame de Lormoy remarked, that the Hôtel Lambert was perfectly isolated, and therefore the organ must be played upon in the house, and then Madame de Hansfeld talked of something else." "Whence we may conclude," replied the domino, "that no one will unriddle this enigma. Ah, if I were a man, I would find it all out by to-morrow!" The conversation was interrupted by these words of M. de Fierval, which attracted universal attention,-- "Who is that tall domino, evidently masculine in its gender, which is on the look-out for adventure? That knot of yellow and blue ribands on his head is no doubt a signal of rallying and recognition." "Oh," said the domino, quitting the chest on which she had been sitting, "it is some serious _rendezvous_--I will prevent the meeting by following the steps of this mysterious personage." Unfortunately for this malicious design, a crowd carried away with it the domino which wore the knot of yellow and blue ribands, and which rapidly disappeared. Some moments afterwards, the same masculine domino who had just escaped the curious pursuit of the domino of the chest ascended the staircase which led to the second tier of boxes, and walked up and down the corridor for several minutes. He was soon rejoined by a female domino who also wore a knot of yellow and blue ribands. After a moment's examination and hesitation, the female approached, and said in a low voice,-- "_Childe Harold._" "_Faust_," replied the male domino. These words exchanged, the lady took the arm of the gentleman, who led her into the anteroom of one of the stage-boxes. [Illustration 01: "These words exchanged, the lady took the arm of the gentleman, who led her into the anteroom of one of the stage-boxes."] CHAPTER III THE DOMINO M. Leon de Morville (one of the two dominos who had just entered the anteroom) took off his mask.