Nick turned upon hearing the voice of his chief assistant. Chick had just entered through the open front door and paused at Nick’s elbow.
“A penny for your thoughts,” he said quietly.
“They are not worth it,” Nick dryly answered. “I was thinking of a woman who just went upstairs. She is clad all in black and sprinkled with stars. She evidently represents Night, and I——”
“There she is, now,” said Chick, with a glance toward the rear part of the hall.
Nick gazed in that direction.
“By Jove, that’s quite remarkable,” he muttered audibly.
“It is a striking costume, Nick, for fair.”
“I don’t mean the costume.”
“No? What do you mean?”
“That two women have costumes precisely alike,” said Nick. “This one appears to be an exact duplicate of the other. She is, so to speak, a duplicate Night.”