or met in the
aisles. They expected another "killing," and were resolute to be
thorough.

From the friendly shelter of the curtain Douglass could study the house
without being seen, and a little glow of fire warmed his heart as he
recognized five or six of the best-known literary men of the city seated
well down towards the front, and the fifteen minutes' wait before the
orchestra leader took his seat was rendered less painful by his pride in
the really high character of his audience; but when the music blared
forth and the curtain began to rise, his blood chilled with a return of
the fear and doubt which had assailed him at the opening of _Lillian's
Duty_. "It is impossible that I should succeed," was his thought.

However, his high expectation of pleasure from the performance came
back, for he had resolutely kept away from even the dress rehearsal, and
the entire creative force of his lines was about to come to him. "In a
few moments my characters will step forth from the world of the
disembodied into the mellow glow of the foot-lights," he thought, and
the anticipated joy of welcoming them warmed his brain and the chill
clutch of fear fell away from his throat. The dignity and the glow, the
possibilities of the theatre as a temple of literature came to him with
almost humbling force.

He knew that Hugh and the actors had worked night and day towards this
event--not for him (he realized how little they cared for him), but for
Helen. She, dear girl, thought of everybody, and forgot herself in the
event. That Westervelt and Hugh had no confidence in the play, even
after dress rehearsal, and that they had ignored him as he came into the
theatre he knew, but he put these slights aside. Westervelt was busy
incessantly explaining to his intimates and to the critics that he no
longer shared in Merival's "grazy schemes. She guarantees me, orderwise
I would glose my theatre," he said, with wheezy reiteration.

The first scene opened brilliantly in the home of Calvin Wentworth, a
millionaire mine-owner. Into the garish and vulgarly ostentatious
reception-room a pale, sweet slip of a girl drifted, with big eyes
shining with joy of her home-coming. Some of the auditors again failed
to recognize the great actress, so wonderful was her transformation in
look and manner. The critics themselves, dazed for a moment, led in the
cheer which rose. This warmed the house to a genial glow, and the play
started with spirit.

Helen, de