we are engaged to be married, and I'm not going to back out;
I will fulfil my promise whenever you please. But for goodness' sake
don't expect me to play the lover--off the stage as well as on.
Sweethearting is a silly sort of business; don't we have enough every
evening before the footlights? Let us conduct ourselves as rational
human creatures--when we're not paid to make fools of ourselves. What
good will it do if I drive home with you in this hansom? Do you expect
me to put my arm round your waist? No, thanks; there isn't much novelty
in that kind of thing for Grace Mainwaring and Harry Thornhill."

And when eventually they did arrive in Edgeware Road, she could not
induce him to enter the house and have some bit of supper with herself
and her brother Jim.

"What are you going to do to-morrow, then?" she asked. "Will you call
for me in the morning and go to church with me?"

"I don't think I shall stir out to-morrow," he said, "I feel rather out
of sorts; and I fancy I may try what a day in bed will do."

"How can you expect to be well if you sit up all night playing cards?"
she demanded, with reason on her side. "However, there's to be no more
of that now. So you won't come in--not for a quarter of an hour?"

She rang the bell.

"Oh, Lionel, by the way, do you think Jim should know?" she asked, with
her eyes cast down in maiden modesty.

"Just as you like," he answered.

"Why, you don't seem to take any interest!" she exclaimed, with a pout.
"I wonder what Percy Miles will say when he hears of it. Oh, my
goodness, I'm afraid to think!"

"What he will say won't matter very much," Lionel remarked,
indifferently.

"Poor boy! I'm sorry for him," she said, apparently with a little
compunction, perhaps even regret.

The door was opened by her brother.

"Sure you won't come in?" she finally asked. "Well, I shall be at home
all to-morrow afternoon, if you happen to be up in this direction.
Good-night!"

"Good-night," said he, taking her outstretched hand for a second; then
he turned and walked away. There had not been much love-making--so far.

But he did not go straight to his lodgings. He wandered away aimlessly
through the dark streets. He felt sick at heart--not especially because
of this imbroglio into which he had walked with open eyes, for that did
not seem to matter much, one way or the other. But everything appeared
to have gone wrong with him since Nina had left; and the worst of it was
that he