be to you, if you like, Julie," she said.

Tommy sighed audibly. "They're beginning early," she said; "but I suppose
the rest of us had better follow the general example--eh, Peter?"

In the anteroom, where tea was ready, Peter saw that Elsie was likely to
play Julie a good second. She was tall, taller than Pennell himself, and
dark skinned, with black hair and full red lips, and rather bigly built.
It appeared that her great gift was a set of double joints that allowed
her to play the contortionist with great effect. "You should just see her
in tights," said Julie. "Trevor, why didn't you say whom you were
bringing, and I'd have made her put them on. Then we could have had an
exhibition, but, as it is, I suppose we can't."

"I didn't know you knew her," he said.

"You never have time to talk of other people when you're together, I
suppose," she retorted. "Well, I've no doubt you make the most of your
opportunities, and you're very wise. But to-night you've got to behave,
more or less--at least, till after the coffee. Otherwise all our
preparations will be wasted--won't they, Peter?"

After tea they set off together for the tram-car that ran into town. It
was Julie who had decided this. She said she liked to see the people, and
the cars were so perfectly absurd, which was true. Also, that it would be
too early to enjoy taxis, the which was very like her. So they walked in
a body to the terminus, where a crowd of Tommies and French workmen and
factory girls were waiting. The night was cloudy and a little damp, but
it had the effect of adding mystery to the otherwise ugly street, and to
the great ships under repair in the dockyards close by. The lights of the
tram appeared at length round the corner, an engine-car and two trailers.
There was a bolt for them. They were packed on the steps, and the men had
to use elbows freely to get the whole party in, but the soldiers and the
workmen were in excellent humour, and the French girls openly admiring of
Julie. In the result, then, they were all hunched up in the end of a
"first" compartment, and Peter found himself with his back to the glass
door, Julie on his right, Elsie on his left.

"Every rib I have is broken," said the former.

"The natural or the artificial?" demanded Elsie. "Personally, I think I
broke a few of other people's."

They started, and the rattling of the ramshackle cars stopped
conversation. Julie drew Peter's attention to a little scene on the
plat