yce. If madam'll let me steer the thing,
I'll myke it as easy for 'er as easy."

He reflected as to how to make the situation clear to her. "I've been
readin' about the time when our lyte Queen Victoria come to the throne
as quite a young girl. She didn't know nothin' about politics or
presidin' at councils or nothin'. But she had a prime minister--a kind
of hupper servant, you might sye--'er servant was what 'e always
called 'imself--and whatever 'e told 'er to do, she done. Walked
through it all, you might sye, till she got the 'ang of it, but once
she did get the 'ang of it--well, there wasn't no big-bug in the world
that our most grycious sovereign lydy couldn't put it all hover on."

Once more he allowed her time to assimilate this parable.

"Now if madam would only think of 'erself as called in youth to reign
hover this 'ouse----"

"Oh, but I couldn't!"

"And yet it's madam's duty, now that she's married to its 'ead----"

"Yes, but he didn't marry me like that. He married me--all queer like.
This was the way."

She poured out the story, while Steptoe listened quietly. There being
no elements in it of the kind he called "shydy," he found it romantic.
No one had ever suspected the longings for romance which had filled
his heart and imagination when he was a poor little scullion boy; but
the memory of them, with some of the reality, was still fresh in his
hidden inner self. Now it seemed as if remotely and vicariously
romance might be coming to him after all, through the boy he adored.

On her tale his only comment was to say: "I've been readin'--I'm a
great reader," he threw in parenthetically, "wonderful exercise for
the mind, and learns you things which you wouldn't be likely to 'ear
tell of--but I've been readin' about a king--I'll show you 'is nyme in
the book--what fell in love with a beggar myde----"

"Oh, but Mr. Allerton didn't fall in love with me."

"That remynes to be seen."

She lifted her hands in awed amazement. "Mister--I mean,
Steptoe--you--you don't think----?"

The subway dream of love at first sight was as tenacious in her soul
as the craving for romance in his.

He nodded. "I've known strynger things to 'appen."

"But--but--he couldn't--" it was beyond her power of expression,
though Steptoe knew what she meant--"not _him_!"

He answered judicially. "'E may come to it. It'll be a tough job to
bring 'im--but if madam'll be guided by me------"

Letty collapsed. Her spirit grew f