"There’s a lot of limelight, if that’s what you mean; but the shade’s all the darker for it. Oh, I can tell you the stage is a rotten place if you’ve got no money or no friends or no chap at the back of you. I’m not saying that for the sake of talking. It’s good enough for any one like me. But when I see a blind man crossing the road I always wish I could make him see, and as I’m not God Almighty the only thing I can do is to give him a hand. That’s how I feel about you. The traffic’s dangerous enough when you’ve got eyes in your head, like I have. It’s all traffic on the stage. I suppose you think you’ll be able to look after yourself? Well, you wait and see. There’ll be Mr. Johnnie at the stage-door asking you to hop into his landaulette because the road’s slippery or some such nonsense. But what’s the use of trying to convince anybody? I can see I shan’t put you off the stage.... I’ll help you to look for a room, unless—" Maggy’s volubility checked for a moment. "—unless you’d like to chum with me. I’m just what you see. Nothing hidden up my sleeve; no drink and no boy." She saw Alexandra wince at her plain language, and watched her anxiously. Hardly ever before had she sought the companionship of another girl, nor could she quite understand the motive that was making her do so now. Her extreme candor certainly had a startling effect on Alexandra. She had never met any one so outspoken. But she put the right construction on Maggy’s frankness, recognized it as a manifestation of genuineness and honesty, and succumbed to it as she had to the girl’s fascinating vivacity. She was altogether drawn towards her. Again, Maggy stood to her as the personification of the new life she had elected to make her own. Maggy was looking at her expectantly, looking and smiling. There was something very compelling in her smile. "I’d like to chum," said Alexandra impulsively. III When Maggy spoke of the stage she generally meant the Pall Mall Theater. Just now it was in her thoughts more than any other, perhaps because she had met Alexandra there, but also because she was inclined to think that Alexandra and she had made a favorable impression on its stage-manager.