Micky stifled a sigh.
“No,” he said rather wearily.
His eyes wandered round the crowded house. There were several people in the stalls whom he knew. He noticed that people were looking at Esther, and he felt a little thrill of pride.
They were wondering who she was, of course. He wished with all his heart that he could stand up in his seat and announce to an interested world that she was the woman he intended to marry.
When the light went down again Esther leaned a little closer to him.
“Mr. Mellowes–––” she said.
“Yes.” Micky bent his head towards her eagerly. He could hear her agitated breathing, hear too the little quiver in her voice when she spoke.
“Did you see who was in that box on the right?––the lower box.... I thought it was Mrs. Ashton.”
Micky answered casually that very likely it was.
“Odd, eh,” he said, “that we should dine at the same place and have tickets for the same show?”