n a good temper. Are you, Jimphy, dear? You
see," she went on, "he wanted to go to the Empire, but I made him bring
me here!... Do cheer up, Jimphy, dear! Smile for the company!..."

Lord Jasper opened the door of the box and went out, and Henry, raging
inwardly, followed him. Before he had quite shut the door again, Lady
Cecily had turned to Gilbert. Her hand was on his sleeve, and she was
saying, "But Gilbert, darling!..." He shut the door quickly and almost
ran after Lord Jasper. She was in love with Gilbert, and Gilbert was in
love with her. A woman would not put her hand so affectionately on a
man's arm and call him "Gilbert, darling!" if she were not in love with
him. She had wished to be alone with Gilbert ... had practically turned
him out of the box so that she might be alone with Gilbert ... had not
waited for him to close the door before she began to fondle him ... and
Gilbert had spoken so bitterly of her!...

He followed on the heels of Lord Jasper, passing through a throng of men
in the passages and on the stairs, until he reached the bar. "Whisky and
soda?" said Lord Jasper, and Henry nodded his head.

"I hate theatres," Lord Jasper said.

"Oh!" Henry replied.

That seemed to be the only adequate retort to make to anything that
Jimphy said.

"Yes, I can't stand 'em. Cecily let me in to-night ... on a chap's
birthday, too. She might have chosen the Empire!"

"You like music-halls then?"

"They're all right. Better than theatres anyhow. I like to see girls
dancing and ... and ... all that kind of thing!"

A bell rang, warning them that the second act was about to begin.

"I suppose we ought to go back," said Henry, putting his glass down. He
had barely touched the whisky and soda.

"No hurry," Lord Jasper replied. "No hurry. And you haven't drunk your
whisky? Cecily's quite happy with that chap, Farlow.... I don't like him
myself ... oh, I say, he's a pal of yours, isn't he? Well, it doesn't
matter now. I don't like him, and he doesn't like me. I know he doesn't.
I can always tell a chap doesn't like me because I generally don't like
him. Have another, will you?"

Henry shook his head.

"I think we ought to be getting back," he said, "I hate disturbing
people after the curtain's gone up!"

"You don't want to see that rotten play, do you? Look here ... I've
forgotten your name! Sorry!..."

"Quinn. Henry Quinn!"

"Oh, Quinn! You're not English, are you?"

"I'm Irish."

"Are you? That's