ntrance. The little group
surged back before the white-gloved commissionaire, who hurried forward,
but the door of the car had already been thrown open by the chauffeur,
and a gentleman and lady stepped out.

At the sight of one of them, Jessica's indifference became changed to a
feverish eagerness. The colour left her face, her eyes dilated, her lips
parted. She swayed back, half fearful, half desirous that he should see
her; for it was he, the man for whom she had waited so long, the man she
had enshrined within her heart.

Adrien, all his doubts as to the possibility of winning Constance's love
returning to him in full force once he had left her presence, had come
down to the theatre with two objects. One to distract his thoughts from
his hopes and fears, the other to arrange with Jasper for the entire
transfer of the theatre to Ada. He meant this to be the last night as
far as the Casket and Ada Lester were concerned.

Absorbed in his own reflections, he hardly saw the group of humble
spectators, and did not appear to hear their murmurs of recognition, but
turned and held out his hand to assist the lady who accompanied him.

Jessica's eyes flashed fiercely as they wandered from his face to that
of the woman beside him.

"She is beautiful," she murmured beneath her breath. "She is beautiful,
and with him!"

All the love which had been aroused in her passionate heart surged up,
and, for the minute, almost turned to jealous hate. "Beautiful, and with
him." It was agony to her to see him as he bent down to catch some light
words of his companion, whose perfumed satin cloak swept by the
crouching girl, as the pair passed into the theatre.

Full well she knew that she herself could never hope to hear his voice,
or feel the pressure of his hand; yet it was with the bitterness of
death that she saw him pass her by in the company of this beautiful
woman. Mingled also with her jealousy was another feeling, that of
partial recognition. For the moment--she could not remember where--but
at some time in the past, she fancied she had seen that dark,
highly-coloured face, and heard the harsh vulgar voice.

As Leroy turned from the motor, she heard him say to the chauffeur:

"Be here at eleven."

"At eleven," she thought, "then I will be here too, and see him once
more."

She hung on the outskirts of the group and listened with greedy ears for
any chance word that might arise about her idol.

"A reg'lar beauty, I shou