But alas! with that one step further, which is so often fatal to great enterprises, they had sought to add a finishing touch of realism to their impersonation by the inclusion of a little feminine interest; and to that end Dilly had been added to the cast--or more likely had added herself--in the _role_ of a young person of humble station bringing her affianced his tea. And, not for the first time in the history of man, it was the woman who opened the door to disaster. Dilly wore a natty print dress--probably my housemaid's--with a tartan shawl over her head. She had on her thickest shoes, but they were woefully smart and thin for a girl of her class. Moreover, her hair was beautifully arranged under the shawl, and her hands--though she had had the sense to discard her ruby and sapphire engagement-ring--were too white and her face was too clean to lend conviction to her impersonation. In short, in her desire to present a pleasing _tout ensemble_--an object in which I must say she had succeeded to perfection--Dilly had utterly neglected detail and histrionic accuracy. Evidently she was not expecting a gallery. Two highly-interested concentric circles--one of people and one of dogs--round her _fiance's_ encampment was rather more than she had bargained for. She had emerged quite suddenly from a side street (which I knew led to a shortcut from home) and now paused irresolutely a few yards away, crimson to the roots of her hair, what time the errand-boy, with looks of undisguised admiration, continued to reiterate his desire to be pursued. The crowd all turned and stared at poor Dilly. Obviously they did not know what to make of her. Possibly she was some one from the chorus of a musical comedy going to be photographed, possibly she was merely "a bit balmy," or possibly she was an advertisement for something, and would begin to distribute hand-bills presently. So far, she merely looked as if she wanted to cry. It was Robin who saw her first. He immediately stepped over his newly-completed touch-line, and taking the spotted bundle and the tea-can from her hands, conducted her ceremoniously within the magic circle, saying, in a voice much more like his own than before-- "Come away, lassie!" Dicky looked up from his labours at this, and beheld his _fiancee_ for the first time. All he said was-- "By gad, you've done it after all! Bravo!" But Dilly did not appear to be at all gratified She merely sat on Gerald's little mountain of paving-blocks, looking as if she could not decide whether to throw her apron over her face and scream, or take a header into the wigwam. My heart bled for her in spite of her folly. The crowd, deeply interested and breathing hard, stood round waiting for the performance to begin. It was Coaldust who took the lead. "Tip us a song and dance, Clara," he said encouragingly. Robin, who had been making a show of unfastening the bundle, suddenly rose to his feet. Coaldust saw him.