quarter of an hour."

I sat down at her feet and removed my mask and nose.

"I'm afraid I persuaded your hand last time, Judy."

"You touched it."

"Let me look."

"It doesn't show."

"Let me look."

After examining the knuckles carefully, I turned my attention to the
soft little palm.

"Obstinacy," I said. "Obstinacy is clearly indicated by the dimple
situate below Saturn and to the right of the watering-pot."

She tried to draw it away, but I tightened my hold and proceeded with
my investigation.

"A gentle and confiding nature, characterized by a penchant for
escapade, is denoted by the joy-wheel at the base of Halley's Comet.
And so we come to the life-belt. This--my word, this is all right!
Unrivalled for resistance to damp and wear, will last three to six
times as long as ordinary paint--I mean life--of extraordinary
durability. Now for the heart-line. The expert will here descry a
curious mixture of--"

Further investigation she cut short by so determined an attempt at
withdrawal that I let her hand go.

"Oughtn't we to be beginning again?"

"You're very eager for the last show."

"No, I'm not, but I want to get it over."

"Oh, Judy!"

She laid her hand on my shoulder.

"No, Punch, no, I didn't mean that. It's been--great fun."

"It's sweet of you to say that."

"It's not. Don't you think I've liked it?"

I leaned forward.

"Dear Judy," I said, "very soon it will be over, and we shall go our
several ways once more. And if we don't meet, as the months and years
go by, when other cleverer, better men walk by your side, and glorious
days crowd thick about you, throw a spare thought to the old time when
you were a strolling player, and the poor fool you gave the honour of
your company."

She turned her head away, but she did not speak.

"You'll not forget me, Judy?"

She caught her breath and slipped a hand under her mask for a second.
Then:

"Next show, Punch," she cried. "No, of course, I shan't. You've been
very good to me."

She was on her feet by now and busily arranging the puppets. I
groaned. The next moment she had wound a long call upon the reed,
which put further converse out of the question.

The last performance began. The first quarrel seemed to lack its
wonted bitterness. Punch appeared halfhearted, and Judy was simply
walking through.

I glanced at the girl and stroked her pig-tail--my pig-tail.

"Wootle," I said encouragingly. "Wootle, wootle."