“Nonsense,” murmured Esther, playing with her bouquet.

A flash passed across his face, but he went on in the same tone.  “Ah, don’t tell me.  Why shouldn’t you?  Why, you’re looking perfectly charming to-night.”

“Please, don’t,” said Esther, “Every girl looks perfectly charming when she’s nicely dressed.  Who and what am I?  Nothing.  Let us drop the subject.”

“All right; but you must have grand ideas, else you’d have sometimes gone to see my people as in the old days.”

“When did I visit your people?  You used to come and see me sometimes.”  A shadow of a smile hovered about the tremulous lips.  “Believe me, I didn’t consciously drop any of my old acquaintances.  My life changed; my family went to America; later on I travelled.  It is the currents of life, not their wills, that bear old acquaintances asunder.”

He seemed pleased with her sentiments and was about to say something, but she added:  “The curtain’s going up.  Hadn’t you better go down to your friend?  She’s been looking up at us impatiently.”

“Oh, no, don’t bother about her.” said Leonard, reddening a little.  “She—­she won’t mind.  She’s only—­only an actress, you know, I have to keep in with the profession in case any opening should turn up.  You never know.  An actress may become a lessee at any moment.  Hark!  The orchestra is striking up again; the scene isn’t set yet.  Of course I’ll go if you want me to!”

“No, stay by all means if you want to,” murmured Esther.  “We have a chair unoccupied.”

“Do you expect that fellow Sidney Graham back?”

“Yes, sooner or later.  But how do you know his name?” queried Esther in surprise.

“Everybody about town knows Sidney Graham, the artist.  Why, we belong to the same club—­the Flamingo—­though he only turns up for the great glove-fights.  Beastly cad, with all due respect to your friends, Esther.  I was introduced to him once, but he stared at me next time so haughtily that I cut him dead.  Do you know, ever since then I’ve suspected he’s one of us; perhaps you can tell me, Esther?  I dare say he’s no more Sidney Graham than I am.”

“Hush!” said Esther, glancing warningly towards Addie, who, however, betrayed no sign of attention.

“Sister?” asked Leonard, lowering his voice to a whisper.

Esther shook her head.  “Cousin; but Mr. Graham is a friend of mine as well and you mustn’t talk of him like that.”

“Ripping fine girl!” murmured Leonard irrelevantly.  “Wonder at his taste.”  He took a long stare at the abstracted Addie.

“What do you mean?” said Esther, her annoyance increasing.  Her old friend’s tone jarred upon her.

“Well, I don’t know what he could see in the girl he’s engaged to.”

Esther’s face became white.  She looked anxiously towards the unconscious Addie.

“You are talking nonsense,” she said, in a low cautious tone.  “Mr. Graham is too fond of his liberty to engage himself to any girl.”