he tried to draw Esther
into the conversation, but, seeing that she wished to be let alone, he
soon gave up the attempt.

He was certainly a most friendly person--one would have thought that
he and June had known one another for years. Before lunch was ended he
had invited himself to tea for the following afternoon.

"That's Yankee push if you like!" June said when he had gone. "Give me
a Yankee every time to make things go!" She looked at Esther
excitedly. "Do you know," she said, "I've a great mind to try and
persuade that man to come into partnership with me."

Esther laughed.

"I should say he'd suggest it himself if you give him another day or
two," she said drily. She wandered listlessly round the room.

"I shall have to leave here at the end of the week," she said
suddenly. "It's impossible to go on living here, and letting you pay
my rent and my food bill. I owe you more than I can ever repay
already."

"If you talk like that I'll--I'll kill you!" said June in a rage. "You
don't understand what friendship means. Micky had tried to teach you,
and so have I, and all you do is to throw it back in our faces.... O
Esther, don't!..."

Esther had turned away and covered her face with her hands.

"I know you think I'm ungrateful and horrid," she said brokenly. "But
how would you like to be in my position? I haven't a shilling of my
own in the world--the things I've been wearing since I came here are
paid for by ... by ... oh, you know! I hate to look at that fur coat
and my new frock. You talk to me about being proud and obstinate;
well, I can't help it, you must go on thinking it, that's all; I'd
rather die than take anything more from any one. I kept myself before,
and I will again...."

"I didn't mean to hurt you--I'm a perfect beast," June declared in
remorse. "But it does seem such a shame."

Esther raised a flushed face.

"We can't all have money and be independent," she said hardily. "But I
think you might try and understand how I feel about it."

"I only know that I'm dying to help you, and you won't let me," June
said grumpily. "Lord! where is my cigarette case? I shall swear or do
something worse if I can't smoke."

She went out of the room, and Esther heard her go clattering up the
stairs. There were tears in her eyes now, but she brushed them angrily
away; after all, what was there to cry for! It was only that she had
got to go back to where she had left off that New Year's Eve when she
fi