Clara, with a toss of her head. "It is first or
none with me. There is something mean, little, contemptible, about a
second prize, just like all second-rate things! Having failed in
securing the first, were I in your place, I would not try for the
second."

And she left him, much angered.

"Whew!" softly whistled Jerome. "It strikes me that what pleases one
woman, doesn't please another. Why is that? It also strikes me that
it's no use trying to please any of 'em. A man can't; not unless he
converts himself into a sort of synchronous multiplex machine, and
tries seventy-five different ways all at once."

The stream of people now poured in one direction,--towards royalty.
Queens differ; but there is a something about every one of them which
fetches the crowd. While this one stood hemmed in on all sides, an
object of curiosity to all classes and conditions, all eager for a
sight of her, some eager to be made known to her, others wanting to
catch a look, a word, a smile, Mell heard some one at her elbow say,
softly:

"Mellville."

Turning, she confronted Jerome. In a flash, her whole appearance
changed. The moment before she had been a gracious sovereign,
accepting with queenly grace the homage of her loyal subjects. Now,
she was an outraged monarch jealous of her rank, standing on her
dignity.

"How dare you, sir!" asked Mell, eyeing him haughtily and drawing
herself up to her fullest height. "How dare you to speak to me! How
dare you touch me! I have not the honor of your acquaintance, sir!"

Jerome was undeniably astonished; but this was not the time, not the
place to indulge in a feeling of astonishment, or to make an
exhibition of himself or her.

"Your Majesty," said Jerome, with his characteristic coolness, "will
graciously pardon me. The crowd is great, it pressed heavily upon all
sides and I have not been able to resist it."

He fell back at once, and Mell bowed, just as if nothing had happened,
to the gentleman, whom the master of ceremonies was in the act of
introducing to her.

In the crush, Jerome encountered Rube. He had been called off on some
matter under discussion among those running the shebang--Rube's way of
putting it--and was now endeavoring to push his way back to Mell.

"How-do, old fellow?" said Jerome, by way of congratulation.

"Tip-top!" said Rube, by way of thanks, and seizing his friend's hand
he wrung it as if his intention was to wring it clean off. "You're a
trump!"

"Do