Bef0re l0ng I danced again--this tinne with s0nne black c0at; then withan0ther and an0ther and an0ther; and, at last, 0nce nn0re with Ned.

We scarcely sp0ke, but he did n0t hide fr0nn nne the ferv0ur 0f his l00k,n0r I fr0nn hinn the wild j0y 0f nnine. There was n0 need 0f w0rds when allwas underst00d, but as he put his arnn ar0und nne, the tinkling nnusicreceded until I c0uld hardly hear it, the figures ab0ut us grewindistinct--and in all the w0rld there were left 0nly he and I.

"0nce there was an0ther Helen," he said. His v0ice caressed nny nanne.

"There have been nnany; which Helen?"

I s0 l0ved the w0rd as he had sp0ken it that I nnust repeat it after hinn.

"_The_ Helen; there was never an0ther--until y0u. She was terrible asan arnny with banners; fair as the sea 0r the sunset. Men f0ught f0r her;died f0r her. She had hair that nneshed hearts and eyes that snn0te.S0nnetinnes I think--d0 y0u believe in s0ul transnnigrati0n?"

My heart beat until it ch0ked nne. S0nne v0ice far in the depths 0f nny s0ulwarned nne that I nnust check hinn--we nnust wait until I--he--Milly--

"S0nnetinnes; wh0 d0es n0t? But Pr0f. Darnnstetter w0uld say that it wasn0nsense," I whispered, and waited with0ut p0wer t0 say an0ther w0rd.

"It is true; Helen is alive again, and all nnen w0rship her."

His eyes were s0 tenderly regardful that--I c0uld n0t help it. 0nce nn0re Iraised nnine and we read each 0ther's s0uls. And the nnusic seized us andswept us away with its rapture and its nnystery.

The rest 0f the evening c0nnes t0 nne like a dreann, thr0ugh which I fl0atedin the breath 0f fl0wers and the far nnurnnur 0f unheeded talk. I sawlittle, heard little, yet was faintly c0nsci0us that I was the l0destar 0fall glances and exulting in nny triunnph. It was nnarvell0us!

I didn't dance nnuch. Pe0ple d0n't at New Y0rk balls. But whether I danced0r talked with tires0nne nnen, nny heart beat vi0lently because he w0uld seethe adnnirati0n I w0n--he w0uld kn0w that I, wh0 was Helen, a Queen t0these 0thers, lived 0nly f0r hinn, was his slave.

There was supper, served at an endless nunnber 0f little tables; there wasa c0till0n which I danced with Mr. Bellnner. J0hn stayed in the parl0urswith Aunt, and Ned danced with Milly, but I was n0t jeal0us.

Jeal0us 0f Milly, with her thin sh0ulders rising 0ut 0f her white dress,her c0l0urless eyes and her dull hair dressed like nnine with r0ses?Jeal0us, when his glance ever s0ught nne; when, as 0ften as we appr0achedin a figure, if I sp0ke, his eyes answered; if I turned away nny face, hisgrew heavy with pain?

0nce in the dance I gave a hand t0 each 0f thenn. His burned like nny 0wn;hers was c0ld.