ge-manager,
Jimmy and Jimmy's assistants were standing round it. Jimmy was testing
everything, for the last time, making sure that there would be no hitch:

"Hullo, Lily!" he said, when he saw her. "Are you ready?"

"Ready?" said Lily. "Look!"

And she flung back her wrap with her two bare arms and stood, a figure all
charm and grace, with youth, joy and courage sparkling in her eyes. In the
mysterious half-light, amid the endless sounds from the band, Lily seemed
to shed rays. Jimmy, dazzled, looked at that dainty form, that delicate
breast, those rounded shoulders, that splendid body fashioned by years of
Spartan life, each muscle of which was quivering with enthusiasm. And she
laughed ... laughed ... head thrown back, full-throated; told the story of
Nunkie, with furious gestures, as though she were strangling the old
beast. And then came sudden displays of feeling, for the Three Graces and
the Bambinis.

Jimmy had never seen her like that. The stage-manager also thought her
queer, for he looked at Jimmy as though to ask what on earth was the
matter with her. And, going up to him, he said:

"Look how she's trembling! One would think she had a fever."

"It's quite true," said Jimmy.

And the two stared at each other in consternation when Lily, stooping to
pick up her cloak, was nearly losing her balance and coming to the ground.
They exchanged a few words in a whisper. Then the stage-manager said:

"Go up to your dressing-room, Miss Lily. You mustn't stay here, you know.
We'll send for you when the time comes. Go and put your hair straight."

It was only a pretext; but the same thought had passed through both their
minds: it was the champagne! Lily, who was accustomed to drink nothing but
water, was ... if not exactly drunk ... well ...

Thereupon, in an instant, Jimmy made up his mind: it was finished and
settled, irrevocably, as though he had spent hours in reflecting. The
newspapers had expressed doubts; there had been suggestions of trickery.
An immediate, brilliant success was essential, to carry the thing off: a
hitch and all was lost and the luck of the Astrarium and his own fame
vanished in smoke! Lily was out of the question that night: she was
bubbling over at every pore with unnatural excitement ... she was not
Lily,--was not herself ... it meant certain death to her, the aerobike
smashed to pieces, the end of all things! Lily would do it to-morrow, the
next night; but not to-night.

He had just