o enjoy herself amid the mad
gaiety at the Casino in Nice.

The great _bal blanc_ is always one of the most important events of the
Nice season, and everyone of note wintering on the Riviera was there,
yet all carefully masked, both men and women.

"I wonder what prevented Hugh from coming with us, mother?" the girl
remarked as she sat with Lady Ranscomb watching the merriment and the
throwing of serpentines and confetti.

"I don't know. He certainly ought to have let me know, and not have kept
me waiting nearly half an hour, as he did," her mother snapped.

The girl did not reply. The truth was that while her mother and the
Count had been waiting for Hugh's appearance, she had gone to the
telephone and inquired for Mr. Henfrey. Walter Brock had spoken to her.

"I'm awfully sorry, Miss Ranscomb," he had replied. "But I don't know
where Hugh can be. I've just been up to his room, but his fancy dress is
there, flung down as though he had suddenly discarded it and gone out.
Nobody noticed him leave. The page at the door is certain that he did
not go out. So he must have left by the staff entrance."

"That's very curious, isn't it?" Dorise remarked.

"Very. I can't understand it."

"But he promised to go with us to the ball at Nice to-night!"

"Well, Miss Ranscomb, all I can think is that something--something very
important must have detained him somewhere."

Walter knew that his friend was suspected by the police, but dared not
tell her the truth. Hugh's disappearance had caused him considerable
anxiety because, for aught he knew, he might already be arrested.

So Dorise, much perplexed, but resolving not to say to her mother that
she had telephoned to the Palmiers, rejoined the Count in the hotel
lounge, where they waited a further ten minutes. Then they entered the
car and drove along to Nice.

There are few merrier gatherings in all Europe than the _bal blanc_. The
Municipal Casino, at all times the center of revelry, of mild gambling,
smart dresses and gay suppers, is on that night an amazing spectacle of
black and white. The carnival colours--the two shades of colour chosen
yearly by the International Fetes Committee--are abandoned, and only
white is worn.

When the trio entered the fun was already in full swing. The gay crowd
disguised by their masks and fancy costumes were revelling as happily
as school children. A party of girls dressed as clowns were playing
leap-frog. Another party were dancing in