them--a plaintive, old-lettery sort of mood, you know."
She sighed a little. "Yes--I know." Then her eyelids flickered in a
parody of Kathleen's glance that Billy noted with a queer tenderness.
"Come and talk to me, Billy," she commanded. "I'm an early bird this
morning, and entitled to the very biggest and best-looking worm I can
find. You're only a worm, you know--we're all worms. Mr. Jukesbury
told me so last night, making an exception in my favour, for it
appears I'm an angel. He was amorously inclined last night, the tipsy
old fraud! It's shameless, Billy, the amount of money he gets out of
Miss Hugonin--for the deserving poor. Do you know, I rather fancy he