I s"pose it was wot"s called love at first sight, Lil.
LILY.
[_Laughing shamefacedly._] Ha, ha, ha! [_Putting her feet to the ground and shielding her face with her hands._] Oh, don"t talk rot, mother.
MRS. UPJOHN.
[_Moving away._] Any"ow, it"s not too late, Lil-- even now----
LILY.
Not too late----?
MRS. UPJOHN.
[_Behind the centre table._] To back out, dearie. The Captain couldn"t possibly "old you to a "asty promise given "im between four an" five in the mornin".
LILY.
Oh! Oh, how _can_ you! I"ve pa.s.sed my word to Nicko and I wouldn"t break it for twenty thousand pounds. [_Looking up._] Mother----!
MRS. UPJOHN.
[_Fussing with the things upon the table._] Yes?
LILY.
[_Resolutely._] I"m going to pull Nicko _up_, mother. I"ve dragged him down, and I mean to raise him. [_Clenching her hands._] So help me G.o.d, I do!
MRS. UPJOHN.
Well, you"ve got a tough job before you, Lil, in my opinion.
LILY.
Perhaps; but I mean to succeed. [_After a pause._] Besides----
MRS. UPJOHN.
Besides----?
LILY.
[_Slowly._] I"ve told you-- Nicko or no Nicko-- I"m determined-- I"m determined not to draw Eddie Farncombe into my net.
MRS. UPJOHN.
Into your _net_? [_Another pause._] Lil----
LILY.
Eh?
MRS. UPJOHN.
That"s twice you"ve made use o" that remark. "Oo"s accused you----?
[_There is a lively rat-tat at the door on the left._] Come in!
[_The door opens and JIMMIE BIRCH bounces into the room._
JIMMIE.
[_As she closes the door._] Ah, Ma! Ah, Lillums!
MRS. UPJOHN.
Good mornin".
JIMMIE.
[_Kissing MRS. UPJOHN._] Ha, ha! We"ve met before, this morning, haven"t we! [_Coming to LILY._] Well, dear old girl, and how are _you_ to-day? [_Kissing LILY and then eyeing her keenly._] A wreck?
LILY.
Rather.
JIMMIE.
I _ought_ to be, but I"m not. Directly I laid my pretty head on my pillow I went off, and never stirred till I found the breakfast-tray on my chest. [_Reckoning on her fingers._] Five to six-- six to seven-- seven to eight-- eight to nine-- nine to ten-- ten to eleven.
I"ve had six hours; that"s not so dusty. [_To LILY, slyly._] You didn"t sleep very soundly, probably?
LILY.
Not very.
JIMMIE.
[_Smiling from ear to ear._] Excited? [_LILY shrugs her shoulders.
There is a silence and then JIMMIE, still beaming, looks round and sees that MRS. UPJOHN has seated herself upon the fauteuil-stool._]
May I sit down for a minute?
LILY.
Of course, Jimmie; do.
[_JIMMIE sits in the arm-chair by the centre table, awaiting some communication which doesn"t come. MRS. UPJOHN drums upon the table with her fingers and LILY busies herself with re-arranging the cushions on the settee._
JIMMIE.