June looked disappointed. "Oh, well, if you really must go," she said. "Come back when you've seen her." "Thank you," said Esther. She turned to Micky, who had risen. "I won't say good-bye, then," she said with an effort to speak lightly. He held open the door for her, and a moment later she had gone. As soon as he came back to his chair June rounded on him. "What have you said to annoy her?" She looked quite angry! "I wanted you to like each other. Really, Micky, you are the limit! She won't come back again, you see if she does." "No," said Micky. "I don't think she will." He laughed a rather chagrined laugh. "I haven't said anything as far as I know," he added. "It's what you've said, I fancy. You've fed her up with accounts of what a wonderful person I am." "So you are," said June. He frowned. "It's kind of you to think so, but I don't know anybody else who shares your opinion." "Well, I can't help the world being full of idiots, can I?" she demanded in exasperation. "And, Micky, why did you come here to-day? When I asked you before you said you didn't want to come; you've soon changed your mind." "I came to tell you about Miss Shepstone. You asked me to get her a berth...." June laughed. "My dear boy, you're too late! She doesn't want your help now, or mine either, for that matter," she added ruefully. "She's a lady of means--that wonderful man of hers who's tucked up in Paris having the time of his life is going to allow her three pounds a week." She paused and looked across at him expectantly. "Well, why don't you look surprised?" she asked. Micky swallowed hard. "I am surprised!" he said. "Too jolly surprised for anything. It's good news, eh? I suppose she was pleased...." "Of course she was! She's staying on now, and is going to share my room. She had a qualm just for a moment, as to whether she ought to take the money, but I soon put her mind at ease. 'Take all you can get, my dear,' I said. After all, I dare say if the man's giving her three pounds he could afford to give her about double that amount; men are not particularly generous from what I know of them--except you, Micky...." Micky got red. "But three pounds a week is enough to live on? Don't you think it is?" he asked, with a touch of anxiety in his voice. "It's enough to live here on," June admitted. "But it's not great wealth. Still, she's going to get a berth as well, so perhaps, after all, the one you've heard of will suit her. What is it?" Micky was stooping, patting Charlie's head. "It's in an office," he said, after a moment; his voice sounded a little uncertain. "I don't think it would really suit her, though--now I've seen her," he hastened to add. "It would be too hard work--late hours and all the rest of it, dontcherknow." June looked at his bent head shrewdly. "Humph!" she said. "Perhaps it's just as well this phantom lover of Esther's has turned up trumps, if that's all you'd got to offer her."