, and he went out fuming.
He ran off to the agents, but there was nothing for him. And yet Trampy
knew or, at least, supposed that they must want an opposition show to
"Bridging the Abyss." They must, surely! Why, everywhere, in all the great
centers, every music-hall had its rival opposite or beside it: everywhere,
each establishment strove to inflict empty houses upon its rival by
offering more sensational or more breakneck tricks. At the Kaiserin, the
rival of the Kolossal, they were, without a doubt, looking for something
to set against "Bridging the Abyss" and they had nothing, or else Trampy
would have known it: among pros such matters were always known long
beforehand. Oh, Trampy was prepared to do anything to escape his wife's
sarcasm!

And, one evening, behold Trampy returning in triumph to the cafe where
Lily awaited him:

"I knew it!" he cried. "I knew it wouldn't go like that!"

"Well, what?" asked Lily. "Have you got a number thirty-seven?
Thirty-eight? A fresh conquest? Something quite out of the common?"

"Laugh away, Lily! That son of a gun shall hear me talked about yet, by
Jove! And everybody else will, too. You must be prepared for anything,
Lily, when you marry an artiste!"

"Why, what's happened?" asked Lily, much surprised.

This had happened: the two music-halls had fought. Jimmy, who was unable,
it seemed, to get London or Paris, had offered his "Bridging the Abyss" to
the Kaiserin, but his price was considered too high. From there he went to
the Kolossal and made the same proposal. Now, times were hard for the
music-halls, sucked dry by the enormous salaries that had to be paid. The
managers were standing shoulder to shoulder, in the presence of the common
enemy, the artiste and, more particularly, the originator of sensations,
who is indispensable and who makes you an offer with a pistol at your
head, like a highwayman demanding your money or your life.

But a turn like that meant an assured success; and the Kolossal offered
Jimmy five hundred marks a night, so as to spike the Kaiserin's guns by
getting hold of a unique turn and one not easy to replace; a piece of
underhand work involving two months' empty houses at the Kaiserin, which,
as it was, had only a second-rate troupe by way of "sisters," while at the
Kolossal they had Roofers engaged by the year, real ones, the complete
dozen, words and music guaranteed. And now the Kolossal would make huge
money with "Bridging the Abyss" and s