Liss tore up the _billet-doux_ with a sentimental sigh. It may be noted in passing that her engagement to Master Leonard had terminated some months previously by mutual and violent consent. A subsequent contract of eternal fidelity to a young gentleman in the Royal Flying Corps—one Reginald Bensham—had recently been dissolved, by unanimous vote. At present Miss Lyle’s affections were disengaged. "One and sevenpence!" she announced. "You can search me for more!" "That’s rather a blow," said Marjorie. "Are we running short?" asked Liss. "Of course we must be, both having been out of a job for three weeks. But I thought—" "So did I," replied Marjorie. "I thought we had a nest-egg in the bank at my home in Scotland. I haven’t touched it for a year, because I wanted it to accumulate for a rainy day. On Monday I came to the conclusion that our present days were rainy enough—there’s the doctor’s bill, for one thing—so I wrote to Mr. Gillespie, the manager, and asked what my balance was. I got his answer this morning." "I hate to ask—but what is the balance?" Marjorie smiled dismally. "That’s just it! There isn’t any balance at all! Just a few odd shillings. My father seems to have cut off my allowance about a year ago. I wonder why? At least, if he was going to do it at all I wonder why he didn’t do it in the very beginning. However, we won’t worry about that. The situation is, that you have one and sevenpence, and I have about two pounds ten." "Two pounds ten, and one and sevenpence—that’s about two pounds fifteen," announced Liss, after a brief calculation. "We can live for weeks on that. Before it’s gone we shall be back in a job again." "I shan’t let you take a job again for a long time, my dear," said Marjorie. "They won’t have much use for me, either; I can’t lift my arm above my shoulder at present. How could I hold up the Torch of Liberty in the last act?" "We’ll rub along," announced the small optimist in the bed. "If the worst came to the worst, I could always get engaged again. There’s a perfectly sweet boy in the Tanks—" But Marjorie’s hand was over Liss’s mouth. "Baby, remember you don’t get engaged again without my permission!" "All right!" mumbled Liss. "Have it your own way! But what about your Roy? Can’t you raise a small subscription out of him? That would be quite O.K., wouldn’t it? You’re going to marry—" Suddenly Liss sat up in bed, for she had caught sight of Marjorie’s face. "Why, what’s the matter, dear?" she asked. "I haven’t heard a word from him for five weeks," said Marjorie in a low voice. "I’m most awfully unhappy, Liss." Liss forgot all about herself at once, and put both arms round her protector. "Think what a lot of letters must be lying waiting for you somewhere," she said. "You’ll get a whole bunch one morning. Now I’m going to get up, and we’ll go on that bus ride."