fair
Circassians, of dusky Nubians and turbaned Turks, while the rustle of
costly fabrics and the odor of heavy Eastern perfumes floated in the
air; the modern city outside in the wintry electric lights was well
forgot in the enchantment of the moment, and Patricia lost count of
time and sense of self in the pageant that swept across the lofty
chamber to make its obeisance at the imperial divan.

"Look, Norn, look," she whispered, as Aladdin and his mother, in
rustling native embroidered silks, led another Princess of China in
bridal procession across the center of the scene, their rich dresses
making a bright spot in the shifting medley of color. "She's not half
so lovely as you, for all her things are so fine. I wonder who--why,
it's _Doris Leighton_! She never told us what she was going to be; and
she knew you were to be the Princess. Isn't it queer?"

"We didn't many of us tell, you know," returned Elinor absently, with
her eyes on Morgiana meekly following her master with the basket of
fruit which was to be such a feature in her triumphant dance after the
robbers had been boiled alive in their own panniers. "There's Margaret
Howes. Isn't she lovely in that pomegranate and gold? What queer
slippers she has--just like the ballet dancers. And there's Ali Baba
with the forty thieves, all the portrait class men in a bunch."

"And the young king of the Black Isles and his wife!" cried Patricia,
giggling. "That's Jeffries, the modeling-room pet, and Miss Green.
She'll exercise the black art in earnest. Did you ever see such
paralyzing expressions as she can call up! That pastry cook is
Peacock, the assistant in the antique. I know him by his red hair."

As the procession wound to its finish the Sultan arose and with many
courteous speeches in the eastern phraseology welcomed the company to
the night's entertainment, explaining that the first half would be
employed in various acts by those who had appeared in the procession,
with an intermission when refreshments would be served by slaves, after
which there would be a general dance followed by supper in the
antechamber.

A space was cleared in the center of the room, and there was a general
rush to secure good positions. Patricia found herself separated from
Elinor by a broad-shouldered Moslem whose slow speech revealed him as
the good-natured Naskowski.

"I did work in the clay room till the hour for this ball," he said,
replying to her surprise. "And