rise.

"Why, the quill-drivers at Somerset House and those damned fire-escapes."

Lily had enough religion to know that the fire-escape was the clergyman:

"As for that," she said, "we shall see later; but I want the registrar's
office. If I'm to be your little wife, I want to be so for good and all:
marriage or nothing!"

"I shall be delighted, Lily!"

"And I'm determined!"

Lily was the more bent upon it, because marriage made her free: that was
the essential point. If she were not married, her parents could make her
come back, she thought ... keep her with them ... gee! It gave her cold
shivers down the back! Once married, she was protected by law; Pa and Ma
had nothing to say; and so she was very keen upon marriage.

"What a dear little wife she'll make!" thought Trampy. "And how she loves
me!"

That, however, did not advance matters. It was all very well for him to
put his arm round her waist, to talk softly to her, to whisper those words
which had already won him so many conquests:--one day, even, he had kissed
her on the lips,--Lily thought that very nice; it was all very well for
him to cut a dash at the bar, to stand her a claret and a biscuit; it was
all very well for him to sing his love-litany: all this did not help him;
at the rate at which he was going, he wouldn't get anywhere in six
months.

Lily, between those two jossers, amused herself immensely. How lucky she
was! Two men, at her age! They irritated her, sometimes; when they went
too far--Trampy, especially, who got excited at the game--anyhow, it was a
homage paid to her beauty. Between that and going away with him there was
all the difference in the world! To leave home was quite another matter.
Why, goodness, if things went on as they were, she could do without
marriage at all!

CHAPTER VII

"Lily, come down!" Pa's voice thundered from below.

Lily was out of bed in a bound. She could hardly tie her skirt-strings for
trembling. Why was Pa in such a rage?

The moment Lily entered her parents' room, she realized what it was. Pa
was holding a letter in his hand and scowling at her.

"These are nice stories I hear!" he cried. "You let men kiss you? You've
got a love affair? Come, Lily, is this true?"

"It's Jimmy's doing," thought Lily. "The mean cur! He's given me away!"

Pa went on hotly:

"And you're going to marry, are you? To marry Trampy? Here, read that!"

Lily felt hopeless. She took the letter, but did not attemp