While they knocked at the door, Hamilton glided out; but not, as he had hoped, unseen, for they turned and ran after him into the street, calling out, “Count Oscar! Count Oscar! Madame la Comptesse wishes to speak to you.” Hamilton shook his hand impatiently towards them, which made them desist, and then breathlessly joined Hildegarde, who was standing motionless on the spot where he had left her. “I ought not to have allowed you to return,” she said, clasping her hands convulsively round his arm, “it was thoughtless—selfish of me. Had you been seen!” “I have been seen, but not recognised,” said Hamilton; “I put on your mask, and some servants mistook me for Count Raimund.” “Can that lead to a discovery?” asked Hildegarde, stopping in the middle of the cold, cheerless street. “On the contrary, I rather think it will prevent any discovery being made until to-morrow morning.” “His wedding-day!” said Hildegarde, with a stifled groan. “Oh, what will Marie de Hoffmann think of him?” “She will perhaps guess the truth,” said Hamilton. “I believe this marriage was the immediate cause of the rash act.” “Perhaps I am also to blame,” said Hildegarde, in a scarcely audible voice. “It may be; but most innocently, I am sure. It was not your fault that your cousin loved you so madly.” “I—I—did not exactly mean that,” said Hildegarde, with a shudder. “Then, what did you mean? Tell me all that occurred. That is,” added Hamilton, for the first time since he had joined her recurring to his former fears, “that is, if you can.” “I can, and will, though the recollection is most painful,” said Hildegarde, in an agitated manner; and, after a moment’s pause, she began: “Having been separated from you all, I naturally endeavoured to reach the front door of the theatre, where we had agreed to assemble as soon as possible; always, to my great annoyance, followed by the black domino, who, in the end, proved to be Oscar. Had I known it sooner, it would have saved me a world of horrors. I was excessively alarmed, as you may imagine, and, forgetting my character as mask, inquired, in my natural voice, of everyone I met if they had seen four black dominoes together? Everyone had seen dominoes such as I had described; and after hearing that some had left in carriages and some on foot, I at length determined to walk home alone. Taking advantage of the confusion caused by several parties endeavouring to drive off together, and hoping by that means to escape from the domino who had become an object of terror to me—like a thing in a dream—I ran at full speed out of the theatre. In order to reach the quieter streets, I unfortunately turned towards the advancing line of carriages; the crowd was enormous, and I was buffeted about in all directions, until at length the pole of a carriage threw me down and completely stunned me.”