'He seems to have told you quite a lot about himself already,' I
interposed.

She smirked again. 'I 'adn't been talkin' to 'im ten minutes afore 'e
arsked me wot was my night out. 'E isn't arf a one.'

'It seems he isn't,' I agreed. And I sent up a silent prayer of
thankfulness to Heaven and the Domestic Bureau. 'But what about the
Amalgamated boilermaker?'

'Oh, 'im!' She tossed her head. ''E can go to--Manchester.'




CHAPTER XI

'Have you observed William closely, recently, Netta?' Henry asked me.
'Something seems to have happened to him?'

'Why should I observe William?' I demanded, puzzled, 'he is not the
sort of man a woman would observe, closely or otherwise.'

'That is exactly one of the reasons why I like him--you leave him
alone,' remarked that horrid Henry. 'I can talk to him without your
distracting his attention by flirting with him.'

I felt wounded. 'Henry, this is monstrous.'

'You cannot deny, my dear, that I have brought men--fluent