the two series of entries. Then, with a pointed
finger she counted the entries. One of them had been omitted. Another
examination showed which of them it was. She had solved his
mystification. Her small forefinger pointed to that entry which
accounted for the difference in the two casts. Gaga looked up at her in
wondering admiration.

"What a marvellous girl you are!" he impulsively ejaculated. "I've been
worrying over this for ten minutes. Thank you. Er--thank you."

Still she did not immediately leave him, and he made no attempt to move.
It would have been the easiest thing for Gaga to encircle her with his
arm, but he did not do so. At last Sally started away.

"I must go," she said breathlessly.

"Thank you, Miss Minto. I'm.... I'm so much ... obliged," stammered
Gaga. She was at the door. "Oh, Miss Minto...." Sally turned, a
mischievous expectancy upon her face. "Er...." Gaga swallowed. A faint
colour rose to his grey cheeks. "I say, I wish you'd come out to dinner
with me. I...."

"Oh, Mr. Bertram," murmured Sally. "It's very kind of you. I...."

"_Do_ come. I'm ... so much obliged to you, you know. I mean, I...."

Sally gave a quick nod. She peeped to see that Miss Summers had not
returned.

"Well, you see," she said. Then: "All right, I will. Thank you very
much."

"To-night? In half an hour? Splendid. I'll be at the corner of the
street. Just outside that big corner place. Thank you. That'll be fine."
He was jubilant. Sally went back to her place with her mouth puckered
into a curious smile that nobody could have understood. She felt that
she had embarked at last upon the inevitable adventure with Gaga, and
her sensation for the moment was one of pure triumph. A moment later,
triumph was suffused with a faint derision. She thought how easy it was
to handle Gaga. She felt how easy, how temptingly easy, it would be
always to handle him. But all the same she was rather excited. It was
the first time she had been out to dinner with a man. She knew he would
look handsome and like a gentleman; she knew he would have plenty of
money. She was glad to think that she was wearing her newest frock, the
smartest she had. Well, she demanded of herself, why not? It'll please
him, or he wouldn't have asked me! Would they have wine to drink? she
wondered. A momentary self-distrust seized her in the matter of
table-manners; but she shook it off. She would watch what Gaga did. She
mustn't drink too much. She must mind