Jessie shivered as she felt the tear, and licked the face of her mistress
eagerly. Then Cuckoo rustled forth, avoiding Mrs. Brigg, who might be
heard laboriously ascending the kitchen stairs to view her in her gala
attire. In the twinkling of an eye she was out in the street, and Mrs.
Brigg returned, swearing gustily, to the lower regions.
Cuckoo was to join the young men in their box, of which she had received
the number. She took a cab to the Empire, and was there in excellent
time. As she paid the man, she saw several women going noisily in,
dressed in bright colours and gigantic hats. She looked at them, and
felt terribly mean and poor, and it was with no trace of her usual airy
impudence that she asked her way of the towering attendant in uniform who
stood at the bottom of the carpeted staircase.
Julian and Valentine were already there. They turned round as she came
in, and stood up to receive her. Julian took her hand, but Valentine
hesitated for a moment. Then he said:
"Is it--can it be really Miss Bright?"
"Sure enough it is," Cuckoo answered, with an effort after liveliness.
But her eyes were fixed on his. She had seen a curious expression of
mingled annoyance and contempt flit across his face as she came in.
Pages:
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283