Beatrice," he announced. "Miss Dalstan has to change her
dress for this act."

He held out his hand and Elizabeth rose lightly to her feet. So far, no
word as to their two selves had passed their lips. She smiled at him and
all this sense of throbbing, almost theatrical excitement subsided. He
was once more conscious of the beautiful things beyond. Once more he felt
the rest of her presence.

"You must let me see something of you tomorrow, Philip," she said.
"Telephone, will you? Good night, Miss Wenderley."

The maid, who had just returned, held the door open. Philip glanced back
over his shoulder. Elizabeth blew him a kiss, a gesture which curiously
enough brought a frown to Beatrice's face.

CHAPTER XIV

The close of the performance left them both curiously tongue-tied. They
waited until the theatre was half empty before they left their seats.
Then they joined the little throng of stragglers at the end.

"Your play!" she murmured, as they faced the soft night air. "I can't
believe it, even now. We've seen it together--your play--and this is
New York! That's a new ending, isn't it?"

"Absolutely," he confessed. "The ending was always what bothered me, you
know."

She laughed, not quite naturally. She was unexpectedly impressed.

"So you're a genius, after all," she went on. "Sometimes I wondered--but
never mind that now. Philip, do you know I am starving? We took exactly
ten minutes over dinner!"

He led her to a huge restaurant a few doors away, where they found a
corner table. Up in the balcony an orchestra was playing light music, and
a little crowd of people were all the time streaming through the doors.
Beatrice settled herself down with an air of content. Few of the people
were in evening dress, and the tone of the place was essentially
democratic. Philip, who had learnt a little about American dishes, gave
an order, and Beatrice sipped her cocktail with an air of growing
appreciation.

"Queer idea, this, but the stuff tastes all right," she acknowledged. "I
suppose, if you were taking your dear Miss Dalstan out, you'd go to a
different sort of place, eh?"

"We generally go further up town," he admitted unthinkingly.

She set her glass down quickly.

"So you do take her out, do you?" she asked coldly. "You'd have been with
her to-night, perhaps, if I hadn't been here?"

"Very likely."

She was half inclined to rally him, behind it all a little annoyed.

"You're a nice sort of person! Wh