"Mother, Mother, I am so happy!" whispered the girl, burying her face in the lap of the faded, tired-looking woman who, with back turned to the shrill intrusive light, was sitting in the one arm-chair that their dingy sitting-room contained.

"I am so happy!" she repeated, "and you must be happy, too!" Mrs.Vane winced and put her thin, bismuth-whitened hands on her daughter's head.

"Happy!" she echoed, "I am only happy, Sibyl, when I see you act.

You must not think of anything but your acting.

Mr.
Isaacs has been very good to us, and we owe him money." The girl looked up and pouted.