k there's any harm in it," he stammered guiltily, supposing
she meant the contact of their interlaced fingers.

"Harm? I didn't mean harm," she said. "The play is perfectly harmless,
I think."

"Oh--the play! Oh, that's just _that_ sort of play, you know. They're
all alike; a lot of people go about telling each other how black white
is and that white is always black--until somebody suddenly discovers
that black and white are a sort of greenish red. Then the audience
applauds frantically in spite of the fact that everybody in it had
concluded that black and white were really a shade of yellowish yellow!"

She had begun to laugh; and as he proceeded, excited by her approval,
the most adorable gaiety possessed her.

"I _never_ heard anything half so clever!" she said, leaning toward him.

"I? Clever!" he faltered. "You--you don't really mean that!"

"Why? Don't you know you are? Don't you know in your heart that you have
said the very thing that I in my heart found no words to explain?"

"Did I, really?"

"Yes. Isn't it delightful!"

It was; Harrow, holding tightly to the soft little hand half hidden by
the folds of her gown, cast a sneaking look behind him, and encountered
the fixed and furious glare of his closest friend, who had pinched him.

"Pig!" hissed Lethbridge, "do I sit next or not?"

"I--I can't; I'll explain----"

"_Do_ I?"

"You don't understand----"

"I understand _you_!"

"No, you don't. Lissa and I----"

"Lissa!"

"Ya--as! We're talking very cleverly; _I_ am, too. Wha'd'you wan' to
butt in for?" with sudden venom.

"Butt in! Do you think I want to sit here and look at tha' damfool play!
Fix it or I'll run about biting!"

Harrow turned. "Lissa," he whispered in an exquisitely modulated voice,
"what would happen if I spoke to your sister Cybele?"

"Why, she'd answer you, silly!" said the girl, laughing. "Wouldn't you,
Cybele?"

"I'll tell you what I'd like to do," said Cybele, leaning forward: "I'd
like very much to talk to that attractive man who is trying to look at
me--only your head has been in the way." And she smiled innocently at
Lethbridge.

So Lissa moved down one. Harrow took her seat, and Cybele dropped gaily
into Harrow's vacant place.

"_Now_," she said to Lethbridge, "we can tell each other all sorts of
things. I was so glad that you looked at me all the while and so vexed
that I couldn't talk to you. _How_ do you like my new gown? And what is
your name? Have you