decent thing to put
on. I simply dared not let such a chance as this go by."

"I never heard anything so ridiculous in my life," the lady exclaimed.
"No, I'm not blaming you, Reggie! I don't suppose you could have done
anything else. But this woman, what a nerve she must have to imagine
that she can do it! I see her horrid Norwegian play has come to utter
grief at the New Theatre."

"She is a clever woman," Fergusson remarked. "One can only hope for
the best."

She flashed a quiet glance at him.

"You know her, then,--you have been to see her."

"Not yet," Fergusson answered. "I am going to meet her to-morrow.
Matravers has asked me to lunch."

"Tell me about Matravers," she said.

"I am afraid I do not know much. He is a very distinguished literary
man, but his work has generally been critical or philosophical,--every
one will be surprised to hear that he has written a play. You will
find that there will be quite a stir about it. The reason why we have
no plays nowadays which can possibly be classed as literature, is
because the wrong class of man is writing for the stage. Smith and
Francis and all these men have fine dramatic instincts, but they are
not scholars. Their dialogue is mostly beneath contempt; there is a
dash of conventionality in their best work. Now, Matravers is a writer
of an altogether different type."

"Thanks," she interrupted, "but I don't want a homily. I am only
curious about the man himself."

Fergusson pulled himself up a little annoyed. He had begun to talk
about a subject of peculiar interest to him.

"Oh, the man himself is rather an interesting personality," he
declared. "He is a recluse, a dilettante, and a very brilliant man of
letters."

"I want to know," the lady said impatiently, "whether he is married."

"Married! certainly not," Fergusson assured her.

"Very well, then, I am going there to luncheon with you to-morrow."

Fergusson looked blank.

"But, my dear girl," he protested, "how on earth----"

"Don't be foolish, Reggie," she said calmly. "It is perfectly natural
for me to go! I have been your principal actress for several seasons.
I suppose if there is a second woman's part in the piece, it will be
mine, if I choose to take it. You must write and ask Matravers for
permission to bring me. You can mention my desire to meet the new
actress if you like."

Fergusson took up his hat.

"Matravers is not the sort of man one feels like taking a liberty
with," he