Mike vowed he had never seen her so charming.

“Very well, if you think so, I’ll tell you what we’ll do.  As soon as Coburn has sung his song, we’ll go; my brougham is waiting ...  You’ll come home and have supper with me.”

A remembrance of Lily came over him, but in quick battle he crushed it out of mind and murmured, “That will be very nice; you know I always loved you better than any one.”

At that moment they were interrupted by cheers and yells.  Muchross had just entered at the head of his gang; his lieutenants, Snowdown and Dicky the driver, stood beside him.  They stood under the gallery bowing to the courtesans in the boxes, and singing—­

     “Two lovely black eyes
        Oh! what a surprise,
      Two lovely black eyes.”

“I wish we could avoid those fellows,” said Kitty; “they’ll only bother me with questions.  Come, let’s be off, they’ll be up here in a moment.”  But they were intercepted by Muchross and his friends in a saloon where Sally and Battlemoor were drinking with various singers, waiting their turns.

“Where are you going?  You aren’t going off like that?” cried Muchross, catching her by her sleeve.

“Yes, I am; I am going home.”

“Let me see you home,” whispered Dicky.

“Thanks, Mike is seeing me home.”

“You are in love,” cried Muchross; “I shan’t leave you.”

“You are in drink; I’ll leave you in charge if you don’t loose my sleeve.”

“This joker,” cried Sally, “will take a ticket if something wins a Lincoln, and he doesn’t know which.”  She stood in the doorway, her arms akimbo.  “People are very busy here,” she snarled, when a woman tried to pass.

“I beg your pardon,” said the ex-chorus girl.

“And a good thing too,” said Sally.  “You are one of the busy ones, just got your salary for shoving, I suppose.”  There was no competing with Sally’s tongue, and the girl passed without replying.

This queen of song was attired in a flowery gown of pale green, and she wore a large hat lavishly trimmed with wild flowers; she moved slowly, conscious of her importance and fame.

But at that moment a man in a check suit said, doffing his cap, “Very pleased to see you here, Miss Slater.”

Sally looked him over.  “Well, I can’t help that.”

“I was at your benefit.  Mr. Jackson was there, and he introduced me to you after the performance.”

“No, I’m sure he didn’t.”

“I beg your pardon, Miss Slater.  Don’t you remember when Peggy Praed got on the table and made a speech?”

“No, I don’t; you saw me on the stage and you paid your money for that.  What more do you want?”

“I assure you—­”

“Well, that’s all right, now’s your chance to lend me a fiver.”

“I’ll lend you a fiver or a tenner, if you like, Miss Slater.”

“You could not do it if you tried, and now the roast pork’s off.”