“Hullo, Lily!”
It was Nunkie greeting her on the stage, while his dear girls were dressing in their room. He took the money for the Bambinis, congratulated Lily on the result of her collection, thanked her.
“And what about the Astrarium?” asked Lily. “Do you know...?”
Of course, Nunkie knew. His dear girls were engaged to perform there. And he had seen some one on his way to the theater: the opening would take place in a month ... in six weeks at the latest....
The architect—“You know, Lily?” said Nunkie—the architect who used to hang about on the stage, in the passages, on some pretext or other—to make love to girls, apparently—was minding everything for Harrasford! He was taking measurements, drawing out plans:
THE ARCHITECT
“Everything is ready in advance, everything’s ordered; they’ve only got to put things in their places; the workmen will start to-morrow.”
“So that’s what he came for!” thought Lily angrily. “The damned parley-voo!”
“And your Pa, you know,” continued Nunkie, “will be there too, with his New Trickers: it would have been easy for you to get there first,” he added, with a meaning smile.