off. You'll be all right."

"There's my black hat with the ribbon," she reminded herself. "It's no
style, and Stella said yesterday she wouldn't be seen in a dime show in
it."

"Never you mind about Stella," he insisted confidently. "You clap it on
your head and come along."

She swung towards the door.

"Meet you in the hall in ten minutes," she promised. "Can't be any
quicker. This is your trouble, you know. I didn't invite myself."

Philip opened the door, a civility which seemed to somewhat embarrass
her.

"I shall be waiting for you," he declared cheerfully.

CHAPTER II

Philip stepped into his own little bedroom and made scanty preparations
for this, his first excursion. Then he made his way down into the shabby
hall and was seated there on the worn settee when his guest descended.
She was wearing a hat which, so far as he could judge, was almost
becoming. Her gloves, notwithstanding their many signs of mending, were
neat, her shoes carefully polished, and although her dress was undeniably
shabby, there was something in her carriage which pleased him. Her
eyes were fixed upon his from the moment she stepped from the lift. She
was watching for his expression half defiantly, half anxiously.

"Well, you see what I look like," she remarked brusquely. "You can back
out of it, if you want to."

"Don't be silly," he replied. "You look quite all right. I'm not much of
a beau myself, you know. I bought this suit over the counter the other
day, without being measured for it or anything."

"Guess you ain't used to ready-made clothes," she observed, as they
stepped outside.

"You see, in England--and the Colonies," he added hastily, "things aren't
so expensive as here. What a wonderful city this is of yours, Martha!"

"Miss Grimes, please," she corrected him.

"I beg your pardon," he apologised.

"That's just what I was afraid of," she went on querulously. "You're
beginning already. You think because you're giving me a meal, you can
take all sorts of liberties. Calling me by my Christian name, indeed!"

"It was entirely a slip," he assured her. "Tell me what theatre that is
across the way?"

She answered his question and volunteered other pieces of information.
Philip gazed about him, as they walked along Broadway, with the eager
curiosity of a provincial sightseer. She laughed at him a little
scornfully.

"You'll get used to all the life and bustle presently," she told him. "It
won't seem so wond