Carew ran across them both, among a group of the male members of the company, in the back-parlour of a public-house an hour later. Kitty, innocent enough as yet to find "darling" a novelty, welcomed him with a flash of her eyes; but he made no response, and, gulping his whisky, sat glum. The others commented on his abstraction. He replied morosely, and called for "the same again." It was not unusual for him to drink to excess now--he was accustomed to excuse the weakness by compassionating himself upon his dreary life--and to-night he lay back on the settee sipping whisky till he grew garrulous. They remained at the table long after the closing hour, the landlady, who was a friend of Kitty's mamma, enjoining them to quietude. She was not averse from joining the party herself when the lights in the window had been extinguished nor did Kitty decline to take a glass of wine when Carew at last pressed her to be sociable. "Because you're growing up," he said with a foolish laugh--"'getting a big girl now'!" She swept him a mock obeisance in the centre of the floor, shaking back the hair that was still worn loose about her shoulders. "Sherry," she said, "if mother says her popsy may? Because I'm 'getting a big girl now,' mother!" The bar was in darkness, and this necessitated investigation with a box of matches. When the bottle was produced, it proved to be empty; the girl's pantomime of despair was received with loud guffaws. Everybody had drunk more than was advisable, and the proprietress again attempted to restrain the hilarity by feeble allusions to her licence. "The sherry's in the cupboard down the passage," she exclaimed; "won't you have something else instead? Now, do make less noise, there's good boys; you'll get me into trouble!" "I'll go and get it," said Kitty, breaking into a momentary step-dance, with uplifted arms. "Trust me with the key?" "And _I_'ll go and see she doesn't rob you," cried Carew. "Come along, Kit!" "No you won't," said her mother; "she'll do best alone!" But the remonstrance was unheeded, and, as the girl ran out into the passage, he followed; and, as they reached the cupboard and stood fumbling at the lock, he caught her round the waist and kissed her. They came back with the bottle together, in the girl's bearing an assertion of complacent womanhood evoked by the indignity. Carew applied himself to the liquor with renewed diligence; and by the time the party dispersed circumspectly through the private door, his eyes were glazed.