"Well!" she said, and there was a flash of white teeth as the full lips parted into a very attractive smile, which broadened into a little laugh at the sudden and cold look of disapproval which had frozen up the expression of the other's face. "That's right, think the worst of me," she went on. "Only, if you do, you happen to be wrong--though it's little enough difference it would make to you, I should suppose, even if you weren't." "What on earth are you doing up here, Lizzie?" he said, ignoring the "feeler." "Left Cranston for good, eh?" "Don't know. I left soon after you did, so can't give you all the latest news, I'm afraid." "There never is any down there, so that's no loss," he said with affected carelessness. But not for a moment did it deceive the other, and a great wave of pitiful tenderness welled up within her heart. She had all the admiration of her class for "gameness," and now, as she noted the ravages which ill-fortune and consequent ill-health had wrought upon the appearance of this man, she needed none to tell her to what depths of poverty he had dropped. Yet he carried it--for her benefit at any rate--with the same careless ease as he had done the enviable circumstances under which they had last met. "Why did you go out just before my `turn,' and come back just after?" she said. "Did you know it was me?" "Your `turn'?" he repeated mystified. "Very sorry, but I don't quite follow." "You were in the Abracadabra the whole evening, and the only turn you missed was mine." He began to see. This, then, was Lizzie's line at present, yet how on earth, under the absurd and Italianised stage-name on the programme, even if it had attracted his attention at all, could he ever have dreamed of looking for Lizzie Devine? "Why, of course, I had no idea it was you," he said. "Well, you see, you needn't have looked so black and suspicious at me. I'm a first-rate draw there, I can tell you, and that's worth something a week. And I've got other engagements sticking out that are better still." "I'm delighted to hear it, Lizzie. And--how well you're looking!"