u give me! What a blow you give me!"

"Why?" said Alvina.

"What's to become of the Endeavour? and consequently, of poor me?"

"Can't you keep it going?--form a company?"

"I'm afraid I can't. I've done my best. But I'm afraid, you know,
you've landed me."

"I'm so sorry," said Alvina. "I hope not."

"Thank you for the _hope_" said Mr. May sarcastically. "They say
hope is sweet. _I_ begin to find it a little _bitter_!"

Poor man, he had already gone quite yellow in the face. Ciccio and
Geoffrey watched him with dark-seeing eyes.

"And when are you going to let this fatal decision take effect?"
asked Mr. May.

"I'm going to see the lawyer tomorrow, and I'm going to tell him to
sell everything and clear up as soon as possible," said Alvina.

"Sell everything! This house, and all it contains?"

"Yes," said Alvina. "Everything."

"Really!" Mr. May seemed smitten quite dumb. "I feel as if the world
had suddenly come to an end," he said.

"But hasn't your world often come to an end before?" said Alvina.

"Well--I suppose, once or twice. But _never_ quite on top of me, you
see, before--"

There was a silence.

"And have you told Miss Pinnegar?" said Mr. May.

"Not finally. But she has decided to open a little business in
Tamworth, where she has relations."

"Has she! And are you _really_ going to _tour_ with these young
people--?" he indicated Ciccio and Gigi. "And at _no_ salary!" His
voice rose. "Why! It's almost _White Slave Traffic_, on Madame's
part. Upon my word!"

"I don't think so," said Alvina. "Don't you see that's insulting."

"_Insulting!_ Well, I don't know. I think it's the _truth_--"

"Not to be said to me, for all that," said Alvina, quivering with
anger.

"Oh!" perked Mr. May, yellow with strange rage. "Oh! I mustn't say
what I think! Oh!"

"Not if you think those things--" said Alvina.

"Oh really! The difficulty is, you see, I'm afraid I _do_ think
them--" Alvina watched him with big, heavy eyes.

"Go away," she said. "Go away! I won't be insulted by you."

"No _indeed!_" cried Mr. May, starting to his feet, his eyes almost
bolting from his head. "No _indeed!_ I wouldn't _think_ of insulting
you in the presence of these _two_ young gentlemen."

Ciccio rose slowly, and with a slow, repeated motion of the head,
indicated the door.

"Allez!" he said.

"_Certainement!_" cried Mr. May, flying at Ciccio, verbally, like an
enraged hen yellow at the gills. "_Certainement!_ Je m