Hearts and Masks

"Indeed!"

"Yes. Why, I might really have known you all my life, and still not

have known you as well as I do this very minute,--and less than a dozen

hours between this and our first meeting. You are as brave as a

paladin, wise as a serpent, cool, witty--and beautiful!"

"Shall I ask the driver to let me out?" Then she laughed, a

rollicking, joyous laugh.

"What is so funny?"

"I was thinking of that coal-bin."

"Well, I didn't permit a lonely potato to frighten me," I retorted.

"No, you were brave enough--among the potatoes."

"You are beautiful!"

"I am hungry."

"You are the most beautiful girl--"

"I want something to eat."

"--I ever saw! Do you think it possible for a man to fall in love at

first sight?"

"Oh, nothing is impossible on Tom Fool's night. Positive, fool;

comparative, fooler; superlative, foolest. You are marching on with

your degrees, Mr. Comstalk."

"You might call me Dicky," I said in an aggrieved tone.

"Dicky? Never! I should always be thinking of paper collars."

"I wish I were witty like that!"

She snuggled down beneath the robes.

An artist's model, thought I. Never in this world. I now understood

the drift of her uncle's remark about her earning capacity. The Alice

Hawthorne miniatures brought fabulous prices. And here I was, sitting

so close to her that our shoulders touched: and she a girl who knew

intimately emperors and princesses and dukes, not to mention the

worldly-rich. I admit that for a moment I was touched with awe. And

it was beginning to get serious. This girl interested me marvelously.

I summoned up all my courage.

"Are--are you married?"

"No-o."

"Nor engaged to be married?"

"No-o. But you mustn't ask all these questions."

"How would you like to ride around in a first-class motor-car the rest

of your days?"

She laughed merrily. Possibly it was funny.

"Are you always amusing like this?"

"Supposing I were serious?"

"In that case I should say you had not yet slipped off your fool's

motley."

This directness was discouraging.

"I wonder if the ten of hearts is lucky, after all," I mused.

"We are not in jail. I consider that the best of good fortune."

"Give me your card," said I.

She gave me the card, and I put it with mine.