My friend did not find what he was looking for. As I came to suspect, this was because he wasn’t searching for anything at all, which is precisely what happens to so many others. Yes, some mothers looked for their daughters, and some husbands looked for their wives, but not a single daughter sought out her mother, nor did any wife seek out her husband. “Perhaps they fell asleep in some room amidst all the confusion,” they would say. “It’s possible,” I would say to myself, “But not likely.”

A mask rushed toward me and mysteriously asked, “Is it you?”
“It’s me.” I replied, certain that it was no lie.
“I recognized the domino, but it’s impossible tonight. Paquita is over there, but her husband insisted on coming. We don’t know how the hell he found tickets. What a shame! Can you believe his timing?! We saw you, and since she wouldn’t dare speak to you herself she sent me to tell you that she’ll see you tomorrow without fail at the Sarten Theater…Red domino with white bows…”
“Okay.”
“Are you in?”
“I won’t miss it”
“And where’s the missus, sir?” A black domino arm in arm with another black domino asked a strange being dressed in cornucopias.
“She must be sleeping by now. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t convince her to come. There isn’t a woman in this world more opposed to having fun.”
“Well, you can rest easy in her virtue. Do you plan on staying all night?”
“No, just until four.”
“Good idea.”
With that, the one with the cornucopias walked away and I overheard these words:
“He doesn't suspect a thing.”
“How could that be? I left an hour after him…”
“He said four?”
“Yes.”
“We have time. Do you trust your maid?”
“There's no reason to worry, because…”

A crowd cut off the train of my curiosity. The rest of the dialogue got mixed up with the repeated sounds of: “do you recognize me” “I know who you are” etcetera, etc.

Wasn’t it just my luck that night to have worn a domino costume exactly like the ones worn by all the lovers? Certainly I was luckier than Quevedo, who arrived that night to find all of those people waiting to hit him.

“Psst! Psst! Finally, I’ve found you.” Another slender mask said to me as she grasped my arm. Her voice was soft, aflutter because her hopes had been fulfilled. “Were you looking for me for long?”
“Not at all, because I wasn’t expecting to find you.”

My friend didn't find what he was looking for, and I came to the conclusion that, as in the case of many others, it was because he wasn't looking for anything. It’s true, some mothers were looking for their daughters, and some husbands their wives, but not one daughter was looking for her mother or one wife for her husband. Maybe, they said, in the commotion they had fallen asleep in one of the rooms. It's possible, I thought to myself, but not likely.

A mask shot out at me.
- Is that you? it asked mysteriously.
- It is, I replied, certain I was telling the truth.
- I recognised the costume; but there’s no chance tonight; Paquita’s here; but her husband insisted on coming; we don’t know where the devil he got the tickets. What a shame! What an opportunity! We saw you, but she didn’t dare speak to you herself, so she sent me to say we’ll see you tomorrow in the Sartén, without fail… Crimson costume with white ribbons…
- Good.
- Will you be there?
- I certainly will.
- And your wife, man? I said to a strange creature dressed from head to foot in little cornucopias; a black costume, arm in arm with another exactly the same.
- She’ll be asleep by now: nothing I could do would persuade her to come along; no one hates a good time more than she does.
- So you have a clear conscience; are you staying all night?
- No, just until four.
- Quite right.
With this, the creature in the cornucopias drifted off, and I overheard these words:
- He didn’t suspect a thing.
- How could he? If I left an hour after him…
- At four did he say?
- Yes.
- We’ve got time. Are you sure of the maid?
- Nothing to worry about at all, because…
A roar of sound cut across the thread of my curiosity; the rest of the conversation was lost in the babble of: do you recognise me? I know you, and so on and so on.

So was it to be my bad luck tonight not to be wearing a costume, like all the lovers, more fortunate than Quevedo, mind you, that in the darkness looked like so many others eager for a match?

- Tsk! Tsk! I’ve found you at last – said another graceful mask, taking me by the arm and asking in her gentle voice, trembling with hope fulfilled:
- Have you been looking for me long?
- Not at all, because I wasn't expecting to find you.

My friend never found who he was looking for, and I came to realize that he wasn't really looking for anybody, just like a lot of other people. Some mothers were actually looking for their daughters, and some husbands for their wives, but not a single daughter was looking for her mother, nor was there a single wife looking for her husband. People said they might have fallen asleep in some room during all the confusion. 'It's possible', I said to myself, 'but not very likely'.

A mask came flying towards me.

"Is that you"?, it asked me mysteriously.
"It's me", I replied, knowing I wasn't lying.
"I recognized your cape, but tonight will be impossible; Paquita is here, but her husband insisted on coming along. We don't know where the devil he found some money. What a shame! It's such a great chance! We noticed you, and since she was too shy to do it herself, she sent me over here to tell you that we'll see you all tomorrow morning in Sartén.... look for a red cape with white ribbons...
"Okay".
"You got it?"
"!'ll be there."
"And your wife, man?", that he directed to a very strange-looking creature wearing horns of plenty all over, a black cape holding onto a another cape by the arm.
"Probably asleep now; no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't convince her to come. There's no worse enemy to fun than she is."
"Well, you can have fun on her behalf. Do you plan to stay here all night?"
"No, just until four."
"Good idea."
While we were saying this, the little guy wearing the horns of plenty walked away, and I overheard him saying, "He doesn't suspect a thing."
"How can that be?" I left an hour later than he did..."
"Did he say four o'clock?"
"Yes."
"We have time. Are you sure about the maid?"
"Nothing at all to worry about, because..."

A wave of noise cut into the ribbon of my curiosity; the rest of the conversation blended into the repeated exclamations: "Do you recognize me" "I know who are you", etc.

I guess it was no bright idea of mine to come out tonight wearing a cape just like all other lovers, happier, that's for sure, than Quevedo, who came out at night to fight all who were waiting.

"Pssst! Pssst! I finally found you", said another slim figure in a cape, taking me by the arm, in a voice that was tender and excited from the satisfaction of finding me. "Have you been looking for me for long?"
"No, not really, because I never expected to find you."

My friend found not what he sought, for which I came to suppose that he sought nothing, which is precisely what happens to so many others. Some mothers, yea, they seek their daughters, and a few husbands their wives, but not a single daughter sought out her mother, nor a single wife her husband. "Perhaps," they would say, "they've fallen asleep somewhere amidst the confusion..." "Tis possible," I would say to myself, "but not probable."

A mask came bolting towards me.

"Is it you?" the mask asked me mysteriously.
"It is I," I responded, with the sureness that it was not a lie.
"I recognized the mask; but tonight is impossible; Paquita is here; but, her husband has insisted on coming; we don't know where the devil he found invitations. Oh what a disgrace! Just look at the sight! We saw you, and since she does not dare speak to you herself, she sends me to tell you that tomorrow without fail you shall meet in the Sartén... Pink mask and white ribbons..."
"Very well."
"You'll be there?"
"I shan't fail."
"And your wife, sir?" said a black mask, arm in arm with another identical to its own, to a thoroughly strange creature wholly attired with little horns-of-plenty.
"Likely sleeping at this hour; try as I might, I have not succeeded in convincing her to come; there is none so loath to amusement."
"So you rest on her virtue. Will you be here all night?"
"No, until four."
"The better for you."
With this, the horned one withdrew, and I overheard these words:
"He suspects nothing."
"How could he possibly? If I left an hour after he..."
"At four, he said?"
"Yes."
"We have time. Are you sure about the maid?"
"There is no concern, because..."

A wash of sound cut my curiosity short; the remaining words of their colloquy became muddled with an echo of voices: do you recognize me? I recognize you, and so on and so forth...

Wouldn't it be just my ill fortune to have brought the same mask tonight as wore all the paramours? Better off, certainly, than Quevedo, who that night looked as one that so many others sought to wallop.

"Psst! Psst! At last I found you," another svelte mask said to me, clutching me by the arm, her voice tender and aroused by a hope fulfilled. "Have you been looking for me long?"
"Certainly not, because I did not expect to find you."

My friend didn't find what he was looking for, and from what I gathered, it's because he wasn't looking for anything, which is precisely what happens to a lot of other people. Yes, some mothers were looking for their daughters, and some husbands their wives, but not one daughter was searching for their mother, nor one wife their husband. Perhaps they've fallen asleep in some room, people were saying, amidst the confusion... It's possible, I'd say to myself, but unlikely.

A mask shot over toward me.

“Is it you?” It asked mysteriously.
“It's me.” I replied, making sure not to lie.
“I recognised the domino; but tonight is impossible; Paquita's there; and the husband has insisted on coming; we don't know where the hell he found tickets. What a shame! But look, what luck! We found you, and not daring to talk to you in person she's sent me to tell you that tomorrow you'll see each other without fail at The Frying Pan... Red domino with white bows...”
“Okay.”
“You there?”
“I'll make it.”
“And your wife, man?” Said a black domino arm in arm with another to a weird creature that was dressed from head to toe in little cornucopias.
“She'll be sleeping now; as much as I try, I can't convince her to come; there's no killjoy like her.”
“This way you can rest in virtue of her absence; are you planning on staying here all night?”
“No, until four.”
“Good idea.”
Meanwhile the man with the little horns of plenty had walked off, and I half-heard these words:
“He didn't suspect a thing.”
“How was it possible? If I left an hour after he...”
“Did he say four o'clock?
“Yes.”
“We've got time. Are you sure about the maid?”
“She doesn't care at all, because...”

A crowd scuppered my eavesdropping; the rest of the words in that conversation got muddled up with the repetitive voices: “do you know me? I know you,” etcetera, etc.

Didn’t it seem like a sign that I’d brought exactly the same domino as all the paramours tonight? Definitely luckier than Quevedo who looked like a ghoul to everyone that was waiting to beat him up.

“Hey! Hey! At last, I've found you” another slender mask said to me, clinging hold of my arm, and in a voice tender and shaken by the fulfilled expectations. “Have you been looking for me for long?”
“No actually, I wasn't expecting to find you.”

My friend didn’t find what he was looking for, and, as far as I could gather, this consisted of him not looking for anything, which is precisely what happens to many others. It is true that some mothers would look for their daughters, and some husbands for their wives, but not one daughter would look for her mother, nor one wife for her husband. “Maybe” they would say, “they’ve fallen asleep on a sofa somewhere in the crowd…” “It’s possible” I would say to myself, “but not very likely.”

A mask came lurching towards me.

“Is that you?” it asked me mysteriously.
“It is,” I answered, safe in the knowledge that I was not lying.
“I recognised the domino mask; but tonight it’s impossible; Paquita is there; but her husband has got it into his head to come along; we don’t know where the hell he found tickets. A great shame! What an opportunity! We saw you, and as she doesn’t dare to come and speak to you herself, she has sent me to tell you that tomorrow without fail we will see you in la Sartén…Red domino mask and white bows…”
“All right.”
“Are you coming?”
“I’ll be there.”
“Where’s your wife, man?” a black domino mask holding another the same by the arm was saying to a very strange being dressed all over in an abundance of little horns.
“She’ll be sleeping now; try as I might, I couldn’t convince her to come; nobody hates fun quite as much as she does.”
“So you’re leaving her to her virtue; are you thinking of staying here all night?”
“No, till four.”
“Quite right.”
With this, the man with the horns had moved away, and I caught these words:
“He doesn't suspect a thing.”
“How could he? I left an hour after him…”
“At four, did he say?”
“Yes.”
“We have time. Are you sure about the maid?”
“There’s no need to worry, because…”

A crowd of people broke my line of curiosity; the other words in the conversation were lost in the confusion of voices repeating “do you recognise me?” “I know you,” etc.

Wasn’t it just my luck to have brought with me a domino mask exactly the same as that of all the lovers tonight – better luck, though, than Quevedo, who at night looked just like those waiting to be beaten?

“Psst! Psst! At last I’ve found you” another slender mask said, clinging onto my arm, in a tender voice excited by fulfilled hope.
“Had you been looking for me for long?”
“No, actually, because I wasn’t expecting to find you.”

My friend didn’t find what he was looking for which, as I eventually realised, was because he wasn’t looking for anything, just like so many other people. Granted, there were mothers looking for their daughters, and husbands looking for their wives, but not a single daughter was looking for her mother, nor one wife for her husband. Perhaps, so they were saying, they’re asleep in a room somewhere with all this commotion going on … Possible, I thought, but unlikely.

A mask came shooting toward me.

- Is that you? – it asked me mysteriously.
- It certainly is – I replied, safe in the knowledge that I wasn’t lying.
- I recognised the mask. It’s impossible tonight. Paquita’s over there, but somehow or other her husband’s shown up; we don’t know how on earth he got hold of tickets. Such a shame, just think, what a missed opportunity! We saw you, but she didn’t dare speak to you herself, so she sent me over to tell you she’ll see you tomorrow at the Sartén without fail… The one in the red mask with the white bows …
- Fine.
- You’ll be there?
- How could I miss it?
- And what about your wife, eh? addressing a bizarre creature, who was completely covered with little horns of plenty, wearing a black mask and leading another black-masked being by the arm.
- She’ll be asleep by now. Try as I might, I simply couldn’t persuade her to come. There’s no one who hates a good party more.
- That’s good. Now you can relax, knowing she’s such an honourable woman. Are you thinking of staying all night?
- Only until four.
- Good for you.
At this point, as the man with the little horns walked away, I overheard them say:
- He didn’t suspect a thing.
- I couldn’t believe it! If I leave an hour after him …
- Did he say four?
- Yes.
- There’ll be enough time. Can we trust the maid?
- Absolutely no worries, because …

A wave of sound broke the drift of my curiosity leaving the rest of the conversation lost in a babble of exchanges – “Who do you think I am?” “I know who you are”. And so it went on.

So was it fate that the mask I was wearing that night made me look like all the other gallants? I was luckier than Quevedo, it’s true, who in the dark, looked like the husbands waiting to land one on their wives’ lovers.

- Psst, psst! I’ve found you at last – whispered another slender, masked mortal as she took me by the arm, her voice soft and eager, transmuted by hope fulfilled. Have you been looking for me for ages?
- Not at all. Actually, I wasn’t expecting to find you.

My friend did not find what he was looking for, the fact being that he was not actually looking for anything, or so I came to infer, and this was the selfsame situation in which many of the other guests found themselves. Admittedly, a few mothers were looking for their daughters, and a few husbands for their wives; yet not a single daughter was looking for her mother, nor a single wife for her husband. "They might have fallen asleep in one of the rooms amid all the confusion," they mused. “It is possible,” I said to myself, “though unlikely.”

A mask made a dash for me.

“Is that you?” it asked, mysteriously.
“It is I,” I rejoined, confident of uttering no lie.
“I recognized your domino, but tonight is impossible. Paquita is over there, but her husband has insisted on coming along. We cannot think how on earth he got hold of the tickets. What a great pity! Such an opportunity! We saw you and, not daring to speak to you herself, she sent me to say that she will see you at the Sartén tomorrow without fail. Crimson domino and white ribbons.”
“Very well.”
“Then you will be there?"
“Indeed I will.”
“And your wife, sir?” The mask, who wore a black domino and led another identical domino by the arm, was addressing an eccentric-looking character dressed entirely in little cornucopias.
“Sound asleep by now. Despite my best efforts, I could not persuade her to come. No one is more averse to a bit of fun than she.”
“Then you can depend on her virtue. Are you planning to be here all night?”
“No, until four.”
“Very wise.”
At this, the cornucopia figure moved on, and I overheard the following exchange:
"He didn’t suspect a thing.”
“How could he? Why, I didn’t leave home until an hour after he left.”
“At four, did he say?”
“Yes.”
“We have time. Can you be sure of the maid?”
“We have nothing to worry about, because...”

A surge of people severed the thread of my curiosity and whatever came next was drowned amid the murmur of voices repeating, “Do you know who I am?”, “I know who you are” and so on.

Surely it was my destiny — and a happier one than Quevedo’s, incidentally — to have brought along a domino identical to those worn by all the lovers that night, so that in the dark I looked exactly like any other domino anticipating an illicit liaison?

“Psst! Psst! I have found you at last,” said another, slender mask, clutching my arm and speaking in a voice that was tender and tremulous with satisfied expectations. “Have you been looking for me for long?”
“Actually, no, for I did not expect to find you.”

My friend couldn’t find what he was looking for, and I began to assume that it was because he wasn’t looking for anything; many other people were in exactly the same situation. Of course, some mothers were searching for their daughters, and some husbands for their wives, but no daughter was looking for her mother nor was any wife looking for her husband. Maybe they have fallen asleep in one of the rooms amidst the chaos... they would say. Possibly, I thought to myself, but not likely.

One of the masks hurried up to me.

“Is it you?” It asked cryptically.
“Yes” I replied, with the assurance of one who is telling the truth.
“I recognised the domino mask... but it’s impossible tonight... Paquita is there... but the husband has ruined it by coming... we’ve no idea where the devil he found tickets. It’s such a shame! Oh, what an opportunity! We saw you, but she didn’t dare come and speak to you herself so she sent me to tell you she’ll see you in the Sartén tomorrow...in a red mask with white ribbons...”
“Ok.”
“Will you be there?”
“I’ll be there.”
“Where’s your wife?” Someone asked a strange being who was wearing little cornucopias, a black mask accompanied by another the same.
“She’ll be sleeping now, i tried everything but couldn’t persuade her to come – she’s fun’s greatest enemy.”
“You can relax then in the knowledge she’s safely asleep in bed. Are you going to stay here all night?”
“No, just until four.”
“That’s good.”
At that point, the one with the cornucopias had moved away and I heard, slightly muffled,
“He doesn’t suspect a thing”
“How can that be? If I left an hour after him...”
“At four did he say?”
“Yes”
“We have time. Are you sure about the maid?”
“There’s nothing to worry about because...”

A sudden flood of people broke my concentration, and the rest of the conversation was lost amongst the background of voices repeating, “Do you recognise me? I recognise you!”.

Although admittedly more fortunate than Quevedo, wasn’t it just my luck, I thought, to have worn a domino mask like all the other lovers, which at night resembled all those they were waiting to beat up?

“Pssst... Found you at last!” a slender mask said to me, grabbing hold of my arm, “have you been looking for me for long” asked the voice, tender and trembling with excitement and satisfaction.
“Well no, not really, because I didn’t expect to find you.”

My friend did not find what he was looking for, and just as I had come to suspect, this was due to the fact that he wasn’t looking for anything. Which is precisely what happens to many others. Yes, some mothers searched for their daughters and a few husbands for their wives, but there was not a single daughter looking for her mother, nor a single wife looking for her husband. Perhaps, they said, they have fallen asleep in another room, amidst the disorder. Possibly, I said to myself, but probably not.

A mask came swiftly towards me.
“Is that you?” it asked mysteriously.
“Yes, it is I.” I replied, certain of not lying.
“I recognised your dominó but tonight is impossible: Paquita is over there. Furthermore, her husband has insisted on coming and we have no idea how the devil he found tickets. Such a shame! And what an opportunity! We saw you, but as she doesn’t dare come and talk to you in person, she has sent me to tell you that tomorrow without fail, you’ll meet in the Sartén. Wear your flesh coloured cloak with white bows...”
“Alright.”
“You’ll be there?”
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
“And where’s your wife, sir?” he asked a very strange apparition dressed entirely in little horns of plenty, a black dominó holding another by its arm.
“She’ll be asleep by now. Despite all my efforts I couldn’t make her decide to come. I can’t think of anyone more averse to entertainment.”
“And so you may rest assured of her virtue. Are you planning to stay here all night?”
“No, just until four.”
“Good for you.” And with that, the fellow dressed in tiny horns moved away and I discerned these words: “He suspects nothing.”
“How could he? I left an hour after him...”
“Did he say until four?”
“Yes.”
“We have time. Do you trust the maid?
“There’s no need to worry, because...”

A waft broke the thread of my curiosity and the rest of the conversation became confused with the repeated phrases of ‘do you recognise me? I recognise you’, and so on, and so on.

Well, how fortunate was I to have worn the same dominó as all the lovers? In fact, more fortunate than Quevedo, since by night I looked just like all the others trying to get closer to one another.

“Tut-tut! At last I’ve found you!” said another slender mask, taking my arm, and with a voice both tender and shaking with the relief of hope satisfied, asked: “Have you been looking for me for long?”
“Indeed not, as I hardly expected to find you.”

My friend did not find what he was looking for, and, as I eventually deduced, it was because he was not looking for anything, which was precisely what was occurring with many others. It was true that some mothers were looking for their daughters, and some husbands for their wives, but there was not a single daughter looking for her mother, nor a single wife her husband. “Perhaps,” they were saying, “in the confusion the women have fallen asleep in some room or other…” “Maybe,” I said to myself, “But unlikely.”

A mask hurried towards me.

“Is it you?” it asked mysteriously.

“It is me,” I replied, certain that I was not lying.

“I recognised the domino; but tonight is impossible; Paquita is here; her husband insisted on coming too, we don’t know where on earth he got a ticket from. More’s the pity! It would have been such a good opportunity, don’t you think! We saw you but as she didn’t dare speak to you herself, she sent me to tell you that tomorrow without fail you can meet her at the Sartén… Flesh-coloured domino and white bows.”

“Fine.”

“Will you be there?”

“Without fail.”

“And your wife?” she said to a very odd-looking being who had decorated his black domino with a myriad of tiny horns, and was carrying another similar one on his arm.

“She’ll be in bed by now; I tried my utmost to persuade her to come but she wouldn’t; no-one detests amusement more than she does.”

“Well your conscience is clear. Will you stay all night?”

“No, just until four.”

“You’re doing the right thing.”

At that the man with the little horns went off and I overheard the following exchange:

“He suspects nothing.”

“How could he? I went out an hour after him.”

“Four he said?”

“Yes.”

“That gives us time. Can the maid be trusted?”

“No need to worry about that, because…”

A surge of people disturbed my snooping activities; the remainder of the conversation was lost in a hubbub of voices: Do you know who I am? I know who you are…etcetera, etc.

So it seemed, did it not, that my lucky star had failed to bring me that evening a domino equal to that of all those lovers, which, in happier circumstances than Quevedo’s, made its appearance at night for those who were hoping to be united?


“Psst! Psst! At last I’ve found you,” said a slender mask, taking me firmly by the arm, her tender voice betraying the excitement of expectation fulfilled. “Have you been looking for me for long?”

“No actually, because I didn’t expect to find you.”

My friend did not find what he was seeking because, as I began to suspect, he was not looking for anything, which is exactly what happens to many people. Some mothers, of course, went looking for their daughters, and some husbands for their wives, but not one daughter searched for her mother, not one wife for her husband. Perhaps, they thought, they may have fallen asleep in some room during the confusion...It's possible, I said to myself, but not likely.

A mask suddenly came toward me.

"Is it you?" it asked mysteriously.

"Yes," I replied, confident I was not lying.

"I recognized the cloak; but tonight will not work. Paquita is there, but her husband insisted on coming. We don't know where in hell he found tickets. It's a real shame! What an opportunity! We saw you, and since she didn't dare to tell you herself, she sent me to say that she will see you tomorrow without fail at the Skillet...red cape with white cords."

"Fine."

"Will you be there?"

"By all means."

"And your wife, man?" he inquired of an extremely strange being costumed entirely in little cornucopiae, a black cloak with an identical one on his arm.

"She would be sleeping now; try as I might, I could not convince her to come; no one can surpass her in detesting amusement."

"So you can rest easy in her virtue. Do you expect to be here all night?"

"No, just until four."

"Right, then."

With that he moved away from the cornucopia man and I managed to hear the following:

"He didn't suspect anything."

"How could that be possible? Since I left an hour later than he..."

"He said at four?"

"Yes."

"There is time. Are you sure about the maid?"

"No reason to worry, because..."

A wave cut off the thread of my curiosity, as repeating voices jumbled the remaining words of the dialog: Do you recognize me? I know you, and so on.

For it appeared to be my good fortune that the cloak I was wearing that night was identical to those all lovers wore. Was I not luckier, without a doubt, than Quevedo, who by night resembled so many who sought to assail them?

"Sssh! Quiet! At last I found you," said another slender mask, grasping my arm, and with a delicate voice trembling from a hope achieved. "Have you been looking for me long?"

"Of course not, since I did not expect to find you."

My friend didn't find what he was looking for and, as I came to suspect, it was because he wasn't really looking for anything, which is precisely what happens to so many others. Some mothers were looking for their daughters, and some husbands their wives, but not a single daughter was looking for her mother, nor a single woman her husband. “Perhaps”, they said, “they've fallen asleep amid the confusion in some room...” “It's possible”, I said to myself, “but it's not likely”.

A mask came racing up to me.

“Is it you?” it asked me mysteriously.
“It is I”, I replied, quite sure I wasn't lying.
“I met the domino; but tonight is impossible; Paquita is over there; but her husband insisted on coming; we don't know where the hell he found tickets. What a shame! What an opportunity! We saw you, but she didn't dare talk to you herself, so she sent me to tell you that she will definitely meet you tomorrow at Sartén... Domino incarnate and white bows...”
“Good.”
“Are you in?”
“I'll be there.”
“And your wife, man?”, he said to an extremely rare being that was completely dressed in little cornucopias, a black domino that had another just like him on his arm.
“She's probably sleeping now; no matter what I did, I couldn't convince her to come; no one hates having a good time more than she does.”
“So you rely on her virtue; do you plan to be here all night?”
“No, until four.”
“That's good.”
At that point the one with the little horns wandered away, and I overheard these words:
“He suspected nothing.”
“How is that possible? If I left an hour after he did...”
“At four you said?”
“Yes.”
“We have time. Do you trust the maid?”
“No worries, because...”

A wave interrupted the thread of my curiosity; the other words of the dialogue were mingled with the repeated voices of: do you know me? I know you, et cetera, etc.

“Wasn't is just stellar of me to wear a black Domino tonight, just like all the lovers, luckier, by the way, than Quevedo, who at night looked like all those who were waiting to beat them?”

“Psst! Psst! I finally found you”, another slender mask said to me, taking hold of my arm, and in a tender voice, charged with the excitement of hope realized. “Were you looking for me a long time?”
“Not really, because I didn't really expect to find you.”

My friend didn’t find what he was looking for and, from what I could gather, the fact was that he wasn’t looking for anything, which is exactly the same as what happened with many other people. Yes, some mothers were looking for their daughters and some husbands their wives, however not one single daughter was looking for her mother and not one single wife was looking for her husband. Perhaps —they said,—they have fallen to sleep amongst the confusion in one of the rooms... It’s possible—I said to myself,—but it’s not very likely.

A mask came hurtling towards me.

—Is that you?—it asked me mysteriously.
—It’s me—I replied certain that I wasn’t lying.
—I recognized your domino but tonight it’s impossible. Paquita is here but her husband has insisted on coming. We don’t know how the devil he got the tickets. Such a great pity! It would have been such a good opportunity! We saw you and as she didn’t dare speak to you herself, she has sent me to tell you that she will see you tomorrow in the Sartén without fail… Red domino with white bows...
—Good.
—Agreed?
—I’ll be there.
—And your wife?—a very odd being dressed entirely in horns of plenty said to a black domino wearing another the same on his arm.
—She will be sleeping at this time; as much as I tried I haven’t been able to persuade her to come; no-one is a greater enemy of having fun than her.
—So you are excused by her virtue. Are you thinking of staying here all night?
—No, until four o’clock.
—Quite right.
At this point the man dressed in little horns had moved away and I half-heard these words:
—He hasn’t suspected anything.
—How could he? If I left an hour after he did...
—Did he say until four o’clock?
—Yes.
—We have time. Are you sure about the maid?
—There’s nothing to worry about, because...

A surge of people interrupted the thread of my curiosity and the rest of the dialogue became confused amongst voices repeating: do you recognize me? I recognize you, etcetera, etc.

Well wasn’t I just fortunate to be wearing the same domino as all the lovers, and certainly happier than Quevedo who by night was confused with someone everyone else wanted to hit?

—Psst! Psst! At last I’ve found you—said another graceful mask, taking me by the arm with a gentle voice, excited at having satisfied her hopes. Have you been looking for me long?
—Certainly not, because I didn’t expect to find you.

My friend did not find what he was looking for and, as I had come to suspect, it turned out he was not looking for anything, which is exactly what he tells people. Yes, some mothers were looking for their daughters, and some husbands, their wives; but not one single daughter was looking for her mother, not one single wife, her husband. “Perhaps,” they were saying, “they fell asleep amid the confusion, in one of the rooms.” … “It's possible,” I said to myself. “But not likely.”

A masked figure hurried over to me.

“Is that you?” he asked mysteriously.
“It’s me,” I answered, careful not to lie.
“I met the domino, but tonight it’s impossible. Francesca is here, not to mention her husband insisted on coming; we don’t know where on earth he came up with the cash. Pity! But look at this! We’ve found you, and, not daring to talk to you herself, she sends me to tell you you’ll see each other, without fail, at Skillets tomorrow … as a live domino, with white ties …
“Fine.”
“You’re in?”
“I’ll be there.”
“And how about your wife, man?” said a black domino with another, identical one on his arm, to a bizarre creature who had come dressed entirely in miniature horns of plenty.
"She’s probably asleep. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t convince her to come. No one hates fun more than she does."
"So you get to relax on her behalf. You plan to be here all night?"
"No, just until four."
"You’re smart."
With that, he moved away from mini horns, and I half-heard these words:
“He didn’t suspect a thing.”
“How is that possible? If I left a half an hour after he …"
“At four, he said?”
“Yes.”
“We have time. Are you sure about the maid?”
“There isn’t any security, because …”

A surge of people cut my line of curiosity. The remaining words of dialogue were mixed in with repetitions of: “Do you know me? I know you,” et cetera, etc.

Well, wasn’t it just my luck tonight to have brought a domino, the same as every other lover? Of course, I was better off than Quevedo, who would come out at night to hit those waiting for him.

“Hey, I finally found you!” said another svelte masked figure, taking me by the arm, her voice at once tender and excited with hope fulfilled. “Were you looking for me long?”

"Of course not, because I did not expect to find you."