Lionel (feeling very much like a stranger in this place) followed her into Miss Burgoyne’s room, where he found Mlle. Girond only too ready to throw away the French novel she was reading.  Nina had to disappear into the dressing-room; but this small boy-officer in the gay uniform, with his or her pretty gesticulation and charm of broken English, was quite willing to entertain Mr. Moore, though at times she would forget all about him and walk across to the full-length mirror and twist her small moustache.  She chatted to him now and again; she returned to the mirror to touch her eyebrows and adjust her sash; she walked about or flicked the dust from her shining Wellingtons with a silk handkerchief; again she contemplated herself in the glass, and lightly sang,

   “En debordant de Saint-Malo
    Nos longs avirons battaient l’eau!”

Then she was called away for the beginning of the last act; and Nina, having made the change necessary for her next appearance, came out from the dressing-room and sat down.

“Oh, you are wicked, Leo,” she said, as she contentedly crossed her hands in her lap and looked at the young man with those friendly eyes, “that you stayed away so long.  I wished to sing the duet with you—­but no—­you begin Monday—­and Miss Burgoyne comes back Monday—­”

“Does she?  I thought she was ordered a long rest.”

Nina laughed.

“She sees in the papers that you come back—­it is to be a great occasion—­she says to herself, ’Will he sing with that Italian girl?  No!  Let my throat be well or ill, I am going back;’ and she is coming, Leo.  Never mind; I am to have the part of Clara; is it not an advancement?  And everything is so much more comfortable now; Miss Girond has taken a room with Mrs. Grey; then we go home always together, and she has the use of the piano—­”

“Miss Ross, please!” called a voice at the door.

“All right!” she called in reply.

“The chorus is on, miss.”

“All right!”

“Ah,” she continued, “it is so good to see you back, Leo; yes, yes?  London was a stranger city when you were away—­there was no one.  And it is all you I have to thank, Leo, for my introduction here and my good-fortune—­”

“Oh, nonsense, Nina!” he said.  “What else could I have done?  It isn’t you who ought to thank me—­it’s Lehmann; I consider him precious lucky to have got a substitute for Miss Burgoyne so easily.  So Miss Burgoyne is coming back on Monday?”

“Yes,” said Nina, as she went to the door.  “Shall I see you again, Leo, to-night?”

“Oh, I’m coming to hear you sing ‘Now to the dance,’” he said, as he followed her out into the corridor and ascended with her into the wings.