ust go down to Fleet Street!"

Lady Cecily was cross and hurt, and she turned away pettishly.

"Oh, very well!" she said shortly.

There was a slight air of restraint among them ... even Lord Jasper
seemed to feel it. It was he who spoke next.

"You can come and join us at the Savoy after you've done your ...
whatyoumaycallit, can't you?" he said.

Gilbert paused for a moment. He looked as if he were undecided as to
what he should say. Then he said, "Yes, I can do that ... if I get away
from the office in time!"

Henry was about to say, "Why, of course, you can get away in plenty of
time!" but he checked himself and did not say it.

"Oh, that will do excellently," said Lady Cecily, all smiles again.

Then the lights of the theatre were lowered and the third act began.

4

When the play was over, they drove to Fleet Street in Lord Jasper's
motor-car. Lady Cecily had suggested that they should take Gilbert to
his newspaper office in order to save time, and he had consented readily
enough.

"We might wait for you!..." she added, but Gilbert would not agree to
this proposal. "It isn't fair to keep Jimphy from his birthday treat any
longer," he said, "and I may be some time before I'm ready!"

She was sitting next to Gilbert, and Henry and Jimphy were together with
their backs to the chauffeur. She did not appear to be tired nor had the
sparkle of her beautiful eyes diminished. She lay against the padded
back of the car and chattered in an inconsequent fashion that was oddly
amusing. She did not listen to replies that were made to her questions,
nor did she appear to notice that sometimes replies were not made. It
seemed to Henry that she would have chattered exactly as she was now
chattering if she had been alone. Neither Gilbert nor Jimphy answered
her, but Henry felt that something ought to be said when she made a
direct remark.

"Isn't Fleet Street funny at this time of night?" she said. "So quiet. I
do hope the supper will be fit to eat. Oh, Gilbert, I wish you'd say
something in your notice of Wilde's play about his insincerity. I felt
all the time I was listening to the play that ... that it wasn't true!'"

Gilbert sat up straight in his seat and looked at her.

"Oh!" he exclaimed.

"Yes," she went on. "The wit seemed to be stuck on to the play ... it
wasn't part of it!..."

Gilbert leant back in his seat again. "You've been talking to Henry
about Wilde, haven't you?"

She laughed lightly and