Ah, now I was seized and swept on in a swift
madness. Still the music sang on.
"My hostess said it would be a lottery to-night in this Row of Mystery,"
I went on, "but I do not find it so."
"All life is lottery," she said in answer.
"And lotteries are lawful when one wins the capital prize. One stretches
out his hand in the dark. But some one must win. I win now. The game of
masks is a fine one. I am vastly pleased with it. Some day I shall see
you without any mask. Come. We must dance. I could talk better if we
were more alone."
As I live, she rose and put her hand upon my arm with no further
argument; why, I cannot say, perhaps because I had allowed no other man
to stand thus near her.
We stepped out upon the crowded floor. I was swept away by it all, by
the waltz, by the stars above, by the moon, by the breath of women and
the scent of their hair, and the perfume of roses, by the passion of
living, by youth, youth! Ah, God! ah, God!--I say to you, it was sweet.
Whatever life brings to us of age and sorrow, let us remember our youth,
and say it was worth the while. Had I never lived but that one night, it
had been worth while.
She danced as she stood, with the grace of a perfect young creature, and
the ease of a perfect culture as well.
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