"She is a better girl than I used to think," he decided, and made up his mind to go to her box the first opportunity to thank her for her goodness.
He did not dream that Alpine was whispering at that moment little poisoned arrows into Kathleen's ear about himself, nor of the cruel pain that tore Kathleen's heart as she heard of her lover's liking for Alpine.
"When he came yesterday, he told me of your being at Mrs. Stone's. What a shock it was to know you were really living! But I must go back to mamma now, and to-morrow I'll come and see you, and hear all about your little romance," tearing herself away.
Just as she expected, Ralph hurried to her box as soon as the curtain fell.
"What did she say?" he whispered, eagerly; and Kathleen, who was watching them, felt her heart thrill with renewed bitterness as she saw the curly brown head bent low over Alpine's straw-gold one.
"He is doing it to pique me," she thought; but she could not turn her burning dark eyes away from the sight.
Alpine looked up smilingly into the pale, anxious face.
"She told me to come to-morrow and see her and hear her story; there was not time to-night," she replied.
He was disappointed; she read it in his speaking countenance, and added: