s roguish wits, as well as
her feet, kept pace with the music. She assured her partner that she had
never loved a woman in all her life before and followed this with a
hundred merry jests and sallies, keyed to the merry fiddles, so full of
blarney that all were set a-laughing. Anon, the gallants drew their
swords and crossed them in the air, while the ladies tiptoed in and out.
Nell's blade touched the King's blade. When all was ended the swords
saluted with a knightly flourish, then tapped the floor.

There was an exultant laugh from one and all, and the dance was done.

Nell hastened to her partner's side. She caught the Duchess's hand and
kissed it.

"You dance divinely, your grace," she said. "A goddess on tiptoe."

"Oh, Beau Adair!" replied the Duchess, courtseying low; and her eyes
showed that she was not wholly displeased at the warmth of his youthful
adoration.

"Oh, Duchess!" said Nell, fondly, acknowledging the salute.

The Duchess hastened to join his Majesty and together they threaded
their way through many groups.

Nell tossed her head.

"How I love her!" she muttered, veiling the sarcasm under her breath.

She crossed the great room, her head erect. Her confidence was quite
restored. This had been the most difficult bit of acting she had ever
done; and how well it had been done!

The other dancers in twos and threes passed from the room in search of
quiet corners, in which to whisper nothings.

Nell's eyes fell upon Strings, who had had a slight turn for the better
in the world and who now, in a dress of somewhat substantial green, was
one of the fiddlers at the Duchess's ball.

"How now, sirrah!" she said, sharply, as she planted herself firmly
before him to his complete surprise. "I knew you were here."

She placed one of her feet in a devil-may-care fashion upon a
convenient chair in manly contempt of its upholstery and peeped amusedly
through her mask at her old friend. He looked at her in blank amazement.

"Gads-bobbs," he exclaimed, in confusion, "the Irish gentleman knows
me!"

"There's nothing like your old fiddle, Strings," continued Nell, still
playing with delight upon his consternation. "It fills me with forty
dancing devils. If you were to play at my wake, I would pick up my
shroud, and dance my way into Paradise."

"Your lordship has danced to my fiddling before?" he gasped, in utter
amazement.

"Danced!" gleefully cried Nell. "I have followed your bow through a
thousand