one, for having them always with her, like
two dear little lucky charms. It was impossible, of course: never mind, it
was the idea of a lady, which she would not have had in the old days, and
Lily was pleased with herself for having entertained it.

"I will speak about you to Jimmy," she said to the Bambinis. "I'll get you
engaged at the Astrarium, eh?"

And the old man trembled with delight, stammered out his thanks, tried to
accompany her to the door, like a princess; and the little boy, to thank
her, promised to teach her a way of standing on your head which he had
learned all by himself!

"Poor darlings!" thought Lily, as she left them. "If ever they fall into
their brother's hands! They would be better dead! Luckily for them, he has
disappeared for good; and his Ave Maria with him, unluckily for me!"

For Lily understood how badly her position as a lady went with that name
of Mrs. Trampy. It was like dragging a tin kettle at her skirts, to make
the people in the street turn round and look at her.

And, more than ever before, Trampy posed as a faithful husband. Nothing
sufficed to take down his arrogance. Always the same old Trampy: great, by
Jove! And, with his red lips, his glittering eye and the cigar stuck in
the corner of his mouth, he made love to second-rate "sisters," inferior
Roofers in red calico skirts. His glamorous title as the bill-topper's
husband still won him a few conquests. And Trampy, especially since
Jimmy's return, plumed himself more and more on the fact that he was the
husband of his dear little wife!

Lily knew all this and it made her fume with rage at heart; but she showed
nothing, pretended, on the contrary, to treat it as a little matter of no
account. For instance, after her visit to the Bambinis, as she passed an
artistes' bar, quite close, there stood Trampy, lording it on the
pavement, among a lot of unemployed pros. Lily made herself short-sighted
to the point of absolute blindness. Trampy caught her, as she passed, with
a:

"Hullo, Lily! Hullo, my dear little wife!"

But Lily behaved like a real fine lady who knows how to put people in
their place without calling them names:

"Hullo, Mr. Trampy!" she replied, in a sarcastic tone. "Still got your
red-hot stove, Mr. Trampy? Still a success with the girls? Kind regards,
Mr. Trampy!"

CHAPTER II

But Lily was grandest of all at the rehearsals. She was now no longer a
lady: she once more became the Spartan, bare-nec