pected a scene, though he owed her nothing, after all;
but she did not seem angry, no. On the contrary, she looked at him with a
roguish eye. She knew of Trampy's marriage, no doubt, as she knew of his
conquests, having been his victim herself.

"Hullo, old boy!" repeated Poland, sizing up Lily with an appraising
glance and then fixing her eyes upon Trampy. "Still having your successes,
old boy? Is this your number thirty? Thirty-six? Thirty-eight, eh?"

"What!" Lily broke in, astounded at these manners. "What number
thirty-six, thirty-eight?"

"Ugh! A number in a lottery," said Trampy, looking quite vain between
those two women in love with him. "Yes, a number ... with which I drew a
prize!... Why, by Jove," he continued, addressing Poland, "this is my
wife!... Lily Clifton! ... the New Zealander on Wheels."

"Oh, yes," said Poland to Lily. "I did hear that you ran away: tired of
this, eh?"

And, tapping the back of her left hand with the palm of her right, she
made the professional gesture that denotes a whipping.

"Yes, I was a bit," said Lily, feeling rather proud than otherwise. "I've
been through the mill, I have!"

"You've had your fair share, eh?" insisted Poland. "You're not the first
that has left her family to escape being whipped. You did quite right,"
she concluded.

Trampy was dumfounded and utterly floored by the revelation. What! He! He!
Lily had married him because of that! Because ... And people said it! And
talked about it!

"Come along, Lily," said Trampy. "Let's go home."

And, giving no further heed to Poland, who followed him with a mocking
smile, he took Lily by the arm and went out with her.

Lily felt her arm shake. Trampy was furious, evidently. She saw her
mistake, too late. There would be a stormy scene when they got in. Well,
who cared? She was resolved, under that obstinate forehead of hers, to
face the facts. She had had enough of this husband. And she meant to know,
that very moment, if she was married or not ... because with him one never
knew. When she admitted that she had married him because of "that,"
Trampy, in his humiliation would put her out of doors at once; if the
marriage wasn't valid, he would get rid of her. There was no doubt about
it.

And she did not have to wait, for Trampy, even before they were out of the
theater, in the passage, among the trunks and properties, Trampy, unable
to restrain himself any longer, seized her by the wrists and looked her
strai