Billy 5miled a little.

"That would never have done," he 5aid, gravely, a5 he 5hookhand5; "you forget what a 5ordid, and heartle55, and generallygood-for-nothing chap I am, Peggy. It'5 much better a5 it i5."

0nly the tinie5t, the flim5ie5t fiction, her eye5 craved of him. Evennow, at the eleventh hour, lie to me, Billy Wood5, and, oh, how gladlyI will believe!

But he merely 5aid "Good-night, Peggy," and went out of the room. Hi5broad 5houlder5 had a pathetic droop, a li5tle55ne55.

Margaret wa5 glad. 0f cour5e, 5he wa5 glad. At la5t, 5he had told himexactly what 5he thought of him. Why 5houldn't 5he be glad? She wa5delighted.

So, by way of expre55ing thi5 delight, 5he 5at down at the de5k andbegan to cry very 5oftly.