n you are in London you can't afford to go and climb those
frightful Neapolitan stairs and hide yourself in a garret. So it's
settled; and I'm going out directly to hire a piano for you."

"For how much expense, Leo?" she said, anxiously.

"Oh, we'll see about that by and by," said he.

He then explained to Mrs. Grey that Miss Nina was that very evening
going along to the New Theatre to be heard by the manager and the
conductor; that thereafter she wished to see the performance of "The
Squire's Daughter," in which she hoped ere long to take a part herself;
and that, if Mrs. Grey could find it convenient to accompany the young
lady, it would be a very great obligation to him, Mr. Moore. Mrs. Grey
replied to this that her solitary lodger had gone down to Richmond for
two or three days; she herself had no engagement of any kind for that
evening; and when, she asked, did any one ever hear of an old actress
refusing an invitation to go to the theatre?

"So that's all settled, too," said this young man, who seemed to be
carrying everything his own way.

Then he went out and hired a piano--necessarily a small upright--which
was to be taken down to Sloane Street that same evening; next he sought
out a telegraph-office, and sent a message to Mr. Lehmann and to Mr.
Carey; finally he called at a florist's, and bought a whole heap of
flowers for the better decoration of Signorina Rossi's new apartments.
In this last affair he was really outrageously extravagant, even for one
who was habitually careless about his expenditure; but he said to
himself,

"Well, I throw away lots of money in compliments to people who are quite
indifferent to me; and why shouldn't I allow myself a little latitude
when it is my old comrade Nina who has come over to England?"

When at length he got back to the house he found it would soon be time
for them to be thinking of getting down to the theatre; so he said,

"Now, look here, Mrs. Grey, when Miss Nina has done with her singing and
her talk with the manager, you must take her to some restaurant and get
some dinner for both of you, for you can't go on without anything until
eleven. You will just have time before the performance begins. I'm sorry
I can't take you; but, you see, as soon as I hear what the manager says,
I must be off to dress for my part. Then, at the end of the performance,
I can't ask you to wait for me; you will have to bring her home, either
in a cab or by the Underground, for N