l, Lydia was too sophisticated to make any mistake about that. Her
features were regular and flawless. The young artist thought she had
never seen so perfect a "cupid" mouth in her life. There was something
so freshly, fragrantly innocent about the girl that Lydia's heart went
out to her, and she could hardly keep her eyes on the stage. The unknown
seemed to take almost as much interest in her, for twice Lydia surprised
her backward scrutiny. She found herself wondering who she was. The girl
was beautifully dressed, and about her neck was a platinum chain that
must have hung to her waist--a chain which was broken every few inches
by a big emerald.

It required something of an effort of concentration to bring her mind
back to the stage and her work. With a book on her knee she sketched
the somewhat bizarre costumes which had aroused a mild public interest
in the play, and for the moment forgot her entrancing companion.

She came through the vestibule at the end of the performance, and drew
her worn cloak more closely about her slender shoulders, for the night
was raw, and a sou'westerly wind blew the big wet snowflakes under the
protecting glass awning into the lobby itself. The favoured playgoers
minced daintily through the slush to their waiting cars, then taxis came
into the procession of waiting vehicles, there was a banging of cab
doors, a babble of orders to the scurrying attendants, until something
like order was evolved from the chaos.

"Cab, miss?"

Lydia shook her head. An omnibus would take her to Fleet Street, but two
had passed, packed with passengers, and she was beginning to despair,
when a particularly handsome taxi pulled up at the kerb.

The driver leant over the shining apron which partially protected him
from the weather, and shouted:

"Is Miss Beale there?"

The girl started in surprise, taking a step toward the cab.

"I am Miss Beale," she said.

"Your editor has sent me for you," said the man briskly.

The editor of the _Megaphone_ had been guilty of many eccentric acts. He
had expressed views on her drawing which she shivered to recall. He had
aroused her in the middle of the night to sketch dresses at a fancy
dress ball, but never before had he done anything so human as to send a
taxi for her. Nevertheless, she would not look at the gift cab too
closely, and she stepped into the warm interior.

The windows were veiled with the snow and the sleet which had been
falling all the time sh