girl pretty last night with the tears 34 in her eyes he thought her a thousand times prettier now. She looked as if some magician hand had wiped the distress from her face and convinced her that the sun still shone.

34

She wore the same clothes she had worn last night, but even they seemed somehow to have changed. There was a bunch of violets pinned in her jacket. Micky wondered if it were the violets that were responsible for the alteration.

“When I make an appointment I always keep it,” he said.

He had almost added “with any one like you,” but thought better of it. “And are you going to let me take you out to tea?” he asked.

She hesitated; she glanced back into the dingy hall behind her.

“I am leaving here to-day,” she said. “My box has gone already. If you will wait a moment ... I would ask you in, but you’d hate it so.”

“I’ll wait outside,” said Micky.

He went down into the street. For the moment he had quite forgotten all about Ashton and the letter which must by this time be in Esther’s possession.

“And what about Charlie?” he asked whimsically when she joined him.

She smiled, shaking her head.

“I sent him on––in a basket. Nobody wants him here––he only gets badgered about all day long; so I’m taking him with me. Do you think I ought not to?”

“I think Charlie is a most fortunate cat,” said Micky.

She did not take him seriously.

“I think he will be happier with me anyway,” she said “I’m going to quite a nice boarding-house now. I went out this morning and found it.” She looked up at him with a smile. “I don’t think even you would mind coming to tea there,” she said.

“I thought you were going to say mind coming there to live,” Micky told her audaciously. “I’ve been looking 35 about for fresh diggings; I’m tired of mine.” He stopped and glanced behind him. “Can we get a tramcar here?”

35

“I’m not 

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