Now that the procession was over, all might have gone well if Tiburce had held out as he began; but alas! in an evil moment, he yielded to temptation and fell.
They were on their way back to Tante Modeste, quite satisfied with all they had seen, when they came upon a crowd gathered around the door of a fashionable club. From the balcony above a party of young men, who were more generous than wise, were throwing small change, dimes and nickels, into the crowd, that the rabble might scramble for them; and there right in the midst of the seething mass was Tite Souris, her domino hanging in rags, her wings gone, and her whole appearance very dilapidated and disorderly; but the demon of greed was gleaming in her eyes, and her teeth were showing in a fierce, white line, while she plunged and struggled and battled for the root of all evil.
Tiburce’s first intention was to make a detour of the crowd; but just as he was about to do so the gleam of a dime on the edge of the sidewalk caught his eye, and, overcome by the spirit of avarice, he forgot everything, and dropped Lady Jane’s hand to make a dive for it.
Lady Jane never knew how it happened, but in an instant she was whirled away from the Paichoux, swept on with the crowd that a policeman was driving before him, and carried she knew not where.
At first she ran hither and thither, seizing upon every domino that bore the least resemblance to her companions, and calling Tiburce, Sophie, Nanette, in heartrending tones, until quite exhausted she sank down in a doorway, and watched the crowd surge past her.
CHAPTER XX
LADY JANE DINES WITH MR. GEX
For some time Lady Jane sat in the doorway, not knowing just what to do. She was very tired, and at first she was inclined to rest, thinking that Tiburce would come back and find her there; then when no one noticed her, and it seemed very long that she had waited, she felt inclined to cry; but she was a sensible, courageous little soul, and knew that tears would do no good; besides it was very uncomfortable, crying behind a mask. Her eyes burned, and her head ached, and she was hungry and thirsty, and yet Tiburce didn’t come; perhaps they had forgotten her altogether, and had got into the milk-cart, and gone home.
This thought was too much to bear calmly, so she started to her feet, determined to try to find them if they were not coming to search for her.
She did not know which way to turn, for the crowd confused her terribly. Sometimes a rude imp in a domino would push her, or twitch her sleeve, and then, as frightened as a hunted hare, she would dart into the first doorway, and wait until her tormentor had passed. She was such a delicate little creature to be buffeted by a turbulent crowd, and had it not been for the disguise of the domino she would soon have found a protector amongst those she fled from.
After wandering around for some time, she found herself very near the spot she started from; and, thankful for the friendly shelter of the doorway, she slipped into it and sat down to think and rest. She wanted to take off her mask and cool her hot face, but she did not dare to; for some reason she felt that her disguise was a protection; but how could any one find her when there were dozens of little figures flitting about in pink dominos?