United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland!
And in all the British dominions beyond the seas, by Jove! And what a
change since Mexico! She was a woman now, a peach, a regular peach!

Lily seemed fascinated by Trampy, examined him, his shiny hat, his gold
rings, his patent-leather shoes. A swell, Trampy, a toff, a gentleman like
those in the front boxes.

"Yes, Lily," said Trampy, guessing her thoughts, "yes, that's the way it
is; one's not always hard up. I've struck oil since leaving America. Heaps
of money! Eh, what!" he continued, offering Clifton an expensive cigar.
"You wouldn't have thought it, would you, when you left me stranded in
Mexico? That was a nice dirty trick you played me! Come and have a drain,
old man, to drink Miss Lily's health and show there's no ill feeling!"

"No, another time," said Clifton, vexed at this recollection of Mexico,
now that he was the established owner of a troupe, a man whose word was as
good as gold. "I'm in a hurry to get home: a very nice home, Trampy, a
real good one. Come and see us some day. _Au revoir_."

But Trampy was so pleased at meeting them, he never stopped shaking them
by the hand. Lily had to accept a bag of cakes to share with the troupe
when they had their tea. Then, at last:

"_Au revoir_, old man; _au revoir_, my love, my little peach!"

Lily's head was quite turned by this jolly day: it made her forget six
months of worries. To think that, for some people, every day was like
that! However, she mustn't complain: a watch, a chain as well, the
somersault pulled off, compliments from Trampy....

Ma's reception of them, when they got home, was icy. Pa looked a little
like a school-boy caught at fault; and Lily, none too easy in her mind,
put the cakes on the sideboard, and hastened to take off her mother's big
hat. Ma grumbled, under her breath: it was nothing but going out, now. Old
Cinderella could stay at home, bareheaded, while my lady went shopping! A
fine thing, my word, for a great sensible girl to abuse her Pa's weakness!
There was nothing to do at home, of course! Well, if it pleased Mr.
Clifton, she had no more to say!... And, while she grumbled, Ma prepared
the tea and shot glances at Lily, a Lily with red cheeks and bright eyes
and looking so pretty that Ma, full of mixed pride and anxiety, felt
sudden longings to eat her up with kisses, "ugly" that she was!

Pa did his best to calm Mrs. Clifton, tried to amuse her with the story of
the sleeve-