{He  takes  it  in  surprise — reads  it  in  silence,  then  folds
it  up,  puts  it  in  his  pocket,  and  looks  steadily  at
Phyllis.  )

Dick.     Where  did  you  find  it?

Phyll.     Mother  found  it  behind  the  coats  in  the  hall.
Dick.     Oh!      (a  pause)     You  have  read  it?

Mrs.  E.     (with  a  gulp)      I  didn't  mean  to.
Dick.     Of  course  not.
Phyll.     (haughtily)      I  read  it  because  I  chose  to.
Dick.     Yes — (a  pause) — Well!

Mrs.  E.  The— I'm  very  sorry— but  this  is  very  unex-
pected—I'm sure,  I  wish  you  every  happiness,  Mr.
Carew,  if  you're  half  as  good  a  husband  as  you  have  been
a  friend — your  wife  will  be  a  lucky  woman.  (holding
out  her  hand  to  him)

Phyll.  I  hope  you'll  be  very  happy,  Dick— very-
very — happy.  You  deserve  to  be,  only — you  might  have
trusted  me  with  the  secret,  mightn't  you?

Dick.     I — I  wish  I  had.
Phyll.  Kara  Glynesk.  It's  a  pretty  name — I  seem
to  have  seen  it  somewhere.
WHEN  WE  WERE  TWENTY-ONE.  33

Dick.  You  may  have — it's  all  over  the  walls  and  on
most  of  the  'buses.  She  performs  at  the  Garden  Thea-
tre.
Mrs.  E.     (horrified)      She  performs!

Dick.  You've  seen  the  large,  scarlet  picture  of  her  on
the  walls,  there's  one  on  the  boardings  opposite.
Phyll.  That  woman!  Oh,  Dick!  (then  she  re-
covers herself)  I  do  hope  that  you'll  both  be  very —
very  happy.
Dick.  Oh,  I  expect  it'll  be  all  right.  I  daresay  she  is
not  as  red  as  she's  painted,  you  know.
Mrs.  B.  It  was  a  lucky  thing  the  servants  didn't  find
the  letter.
Dick.     Very.
Phyll.     Does  the  Imp  know?

Dick.     Nobody  knows — but  you  and  your  mother.
