dea who her partner was, but then that is the
fun of a masquerade.

"And will you dance with me?" the monk asked in a very solemn tone,
bowing to Janet.

Janet got up and then sat down again very suddenly; there was an
awkward pause, and then she managed to say:

"But I don't know how to dance." Gone was the mumble, gone was every
thought except the misery of the minute.

But the monk, instead of being disappointed, gave a mighty sigh of
relief.

"Thank goodness for that," he said heartily. "I hate to dance, myself,
so let's go and see if we can't find some lemonade. This hood is so
hot I need something to cool me off."

Janet did not wait to be coaxed. She took the arm he offered her, and
they soon disappeared into the crowd.

Little Jack Horner shifted from one foot to the other in his
embarrassment at finding himself between two girls. At last he said,

"I want to dance with one of you but blest if I can tell which, you are
as alike as two peas. I wish you would stop that mumbling and let me
hear your voices. I bet I know you both."

Phyllis and Daphne looked at each other and laughed. Jack Horner had
forgotten, in his eagerness to find out who they were, to disguise his
own voice, and they both recognized him.

"No, Jerry Dodd, we won't stop mumbling; you'll just have to choose as
best you can," Daphne said.

Jerry looked at her curiously; there was something familiar in that
tinkly laugh.

"Then I'll choose you," he said promptly. "You know me, so I must know
you, and before we have danced half way round the room I bet I can tell
you your name."

"Bet you can't," Daphne teased as she got up.

Phyllis watched them whirl away and smiled to herself. Daphne was a
beautiful dancer, and if Jerry had even a grain of sense he would
recognize her light step, for he had danced with her many times at
dancing school. She watched them circle the room once and waited for
them to pass her again. As they neared her she expected to hear
Daphne's familiar drawl, but instead she heard Jerry's pleading voice
say,

"Ah, go on, give a fellow a chance."

The rest of the sentence was lost for a voice close beside her asked,

"Did you find the lemonade?"

She turned quickly to see a knight in shining armor. A golden wig fell
to his shoulders, and a blazing cross covered the front of his tunic.
He wore a small black mask that did not hide his smiling mouth. He
carried a great sword with both hands.