He put a handkerchief to his face and uttered a muffled excuse as he hastily left the room.

Outside, the noise of his heavy tread died swiftly away down the hall.
The Montague girl remained at the desk.

There was a strange light in her eyes and her face was still flushed.

She shot a glance of encouragement at Merton.
"Don't be nervous, old Kid; he likes 'em all right." He reassured her lightly: "Oh, I'm not a bit nervous about him.

It ain't as if he was doing something worth while, instead of mere comedies." The girl's colour seemed to heighten.