"The deuce you aren't! I am; and, by Jove, I wish she were in me!" "I'm sorry for you. Come in and have a smoke." As they crossed the hall, someone was coming down the stairs. The acquaintance drew Mr Coventry a little aside. "Here she is!" Mr Coventry glanced up. "That's Miss Freemantle, the little woman in black. She's not a bad-looking little thing." Mr Coventry looked at the lady referred to. It was Dora Hardy! As she descended the staircase, she leant on Mr Gainsford's arm. On the gentleman's other side was Mrs Murphy. As he saw her, she saw him. The young lady dropped the gentleman's arm. She ran down the stairs with her hand stretched out. "Mr Coventry!" "Dora!" She laughed--and blushed. She turned to her companions. "I don't think I need trouble you after all, Mr Coventry will see me home." Before Mr Coventry had realised the situation he found himself in the open air with the lady. They turned, perhaps instinctively, towards Hove. It happened, that night, that that part of the Front was almost deserted. They walked some little distance before the gentleman recovered the use of his tongue. "Dora--what--what cock-and-bull story was that fool telling me?" "I really cannot say." "He--he said that you--you were the great Sarah." "So I am. Don't I look it?" The gentleman stopped dead. He groaned. "What--what a fool I've been!" "You flatter me." They resumed their promenade. Her hand stole towards his. "George, are you sorry you said you loved me?" "Dora, is--is it a joke?" "No, George, it's not a joke, it's a romance." "What--what have I done?" "Made me happy. Isn't that enough to do?" They stopped again, under a gas-lamp. It was fortunate so few persons were about. "George, I have a confession to make. It was not you who fell in love with me, it was I who fell in love with you." "Dora!" "It is true. It was at Lady Brentford's ball. I saw you there for the first time. I fell in love with you--at sight. You see, when your turn came, you did not make up your mind more rapidly than I had done. It was a case of Goethe's mutual affinity! I saw you at other houses. I went to them on purpose to see you, but I took care never to be introduced to you." "Why?" "You know that I am the great Sarah, George. But when I found that you had come to the very hotel at which I was stopping, I formed a little plot. I changed my quarters, I dropped the Freemantle, and became Miss Hardy. Then--_then_ I thrust myself right into your path, and--and it was all soon over. Are you sorry, George?" "Sorry! But--but about those notes?" "You goose! They came from me. I knew you had been betting, and I knew that you had lost. I didn't want to lose you for a pound or two. But when you told me that you would not owe your salvation to a woman's money--not knowing who the woman was--why, then I sent you the 'tip' for Ceruleans instead. It was the best thing that I ever did, for it brought me you."