t. He knew also that he bought this respite at a price, and the
price must be paid terribly when he came to wake. And yet he found it
astonishingly easy to take Milly's arm.

"But I say," she rattled on, "you must be soft!"

"Why?" He was drinking in the sound of her words, letting the sense run
by him.

"Why, to suppose the Admiral would see you at this time. What was it
about?"

"Please go on talking."

"Well, I am. What did you want to see the Admiral for? Some Mission
business, I s'pose. . . .Oh, you needn't tell if you don't choose; I'm
not dying to hear."

They stood side by side on the Hoe, watching the fireworks. Three or
four searchlights were playing over the Sound, turned now upon the
anchored craft, now upward, following the rockets, and again downward,
crisscrossing their white rays as if to catch the dropping
multi-coloured stars. "O--o--oh!" exclaimed Milly, as each shower of
rockets exploded. "But what makes you jump like that?"

"I say," he asked after a time, "since we've come to enjoy ourselves why
not do the thing thoroughly? What do you say to the theatre after
this?"

"The theatre! Well, you are gettin' on! That would be 'eavenly.
They've got the 'Charity Girl' on this week--Gertie Lennox dancing.
But don't you disapprove of that sort of thing?"

"So I--I mean I don't make a practice of it. But perhaps--once in a
way--"

"I love it; though 'tisn't often I gets the chance. I dunno what Dick
would say, though."

She said it archly, meaning to suggest that Dick might be jealous.
John Gilbart misunderstood.

"But that's foolish. Why not to-night as well as any other night?
What difference can it make to--to--" He broke off, laughing a little
wildly. "We'll go and give each other moral support. We'll take
tickets for the pit--no, the dress circle!"

"The dress circle!" There was awe in Milly's voice; her hand went up to
her head. "They make you take your 'at off there. Oh, I couldn't!"
But he caught her by the arm and hurried her off almost at a run--the
girl giggling and panting and beginning to enjoy herself amazingly.

The performance had begun; but they found seats in the front row of the
dress circle, almost before she had ceased panting, and Milly was
unpinning her hat and glancing up at the gallery on the chance of an
envious friendly recognition. The lights, the colours, the clash of
brass in the orchestra made Gilbart's head spin. A stout _tenore
robus