fire. Letty came and stood
behind him. Without preliminary of any kind she said, quietly:

"Steptoe, it's got to end."

Expecting a protest she was surprised that he should merely blow on
the shivering flame, saying, in the interval between two long breaths:
"I agrees with madam."

"And it's me that must end it."

He blew gently again. "I guess that'd be so too."

She thought of the little mermaid leaping into the sea, and trembling
away into foam. "If he wants to marry the girl he's in love with he'll
never do it the way we're living now."

He rose from his knees, dusting one hand against the other. "Madam's
quite right. 'E won't--not never."

She threw out her arms, and moaned. "And, O Steptoe! I'm so tired of
it."

"Madam's tired of----?"

"Of living here, and doing nothing, and just watching and waiting, and
nothing never happening----"

"Does madam remember that, the dye when she first come I said there
was two reasons why I wanted to myke 'er into a lydy?"

Letty nodded.

"The one I told 'er was that I wanted to 'elp someone who was like
what I used to be myself."

"I remember."

"And the other, what I didn't tell madam, I'll tell 'er now. It
was--it was I was 'opin' that a woman'd come into my poor boy's life
as'd comfort 'im like----"

"And she didn't come."

"'E ain't seen that she's come. I said it'd be a tough job to bring
'im to fallin' in love with 'er like; but it's been tougher than what
I thought it'd be."

"So that I must--must do something."

"Looks as if madam'd 'ave to."

"I suppose you know that there's an easy way for me to do it?"

"Nothink ain't so very easy; but if madam 'as a big enough
reason----"

She felt the necessity of being plain. "I suppose that if he hadn't
picked me up in the Park that day I'd have gone to the bad anyhow."

"If madam's thinkin' about goin' to the bad----"

She threw up her head defiantly. "Well, I am. What of it?"

"I was just thinkin' as I might 'elp 'er a bit about that."

She was puzzled. "I don't think you know what I said. I said I
was----"

"Goin' to the bad, madam. That's what I understood. But madam won't
find it so easy, not 'avin 'ad no experience like, as you might sye."

"I didn't know you needed experience--for that."

"All good people thinks that wye, madam; but when you tackle it
deliberate like, there's quite a trick to it."

"And do you know the trick?" was all she could think of saying.

"I may not know the