looked at her quickly, but she gave no sign of any plan, nor did
she betray a hint of the emotion he would have been glad to see.

With the glass let down against the rain, they were forced very near to
one another as the horse trotted along Tottenham Court Road shining with
puddles in the lamplight.

"This is jolly," said Maurice, bravely putting an arm round each waist
and holding Irene a little closer for fear she should feel that she was
the undesired third person. Having done this, he felt entitled to kiss
Jenny first and turned towards her lips. She drew back, whispering:

"Ah, so near and yet for far."

Then, since he had offered to kiss Jenny, he felt bound to kiss Irene.
The latter allowed the compliment as she would have let him pick up a
handkerchief. Arrangements were made to meet again on the morrow at the
same place, and at last the cab was pulled up some two hundred yards
from Irene's house. Maurice jumped out and shook hands very politely and
waved to her as she ran up a side-street. Then he sat back beside Jenny
in the cab. The driver turned his horse and for a minute or two they
traveled silently through the rain and lamplight.

"Jenny," he whispered, "Jenny, won't you kiss me now?"

She yielded herself to his arms, and while the wind rattled the glass
shield, while the raindrops danced in the road before them, while lights
faltered and went out in passing window-panes, Jenny nestled closer,
ardent and soft and passionate.

"Are you glad we're alone?" he whispered.

"Rather."

"I suppose you knew I've been burning all the time to sit with you like
this?"

"No."

"Oh, I have, Jenny. Jenny, I saw you when you first came on the stage,
and afterwards I never saw anyone else. I wish you lived a thousand
miles away."

"Why?"

"Because then we should travel together for a thousand hours."

"You date."

"You're so delightful."

"Am I?"

"I wish Irene weren't coming to-morrow. We shall have such a lot to talk
about," he vowed.

"Shall we?"

"What on earth made me ask her?"

"It's done now."

Maurice sighed. Then he caught her close again and breathless they sat
till Jenny suddenly cried:

"Gee! Here's Hagworth Street. Goodnight!"

At the end of the road, under the tall plane tree where once Jenny had
danced, they sat in the old hansom cab, while the steam rose in clouds
from the horse and the puddles sang with rain and the driver smoked
meditatively. The world was fading away i