n the presence of
Limonadov, the washerwoman, and two lighting men. He remembered how,
four days before the wedding, he was sitting in the London Tavern with
the whole company, and all were talking about Masha. The company were
advising him to "chance it," and Limonadov, with tears in his
eyes urged: "It would be stupid and irrational to let slip such an
opportunity! Why, for a sum like that one would go to Siberia, let alone
getting married! When you marry and have a theatre of your own, take me
into your company. I shan't be master then, you'll be master."

Fenogenov remembered it, and muttered with clenched fists:

"If he doesn't send money I'll smash her! I won't let myself be made a
fool of, damn my soul!"

At one provincial town the company tried to give Masha the slip, but
Masha found out, ran to the station, and got there when the second bell
had rung and the actors had all taken their seats.

"I've been shamefully treated by your father," said the tragedian; "all
is over between us!"

And though the carriage was full of people, she went down on her knees
and held out her hands, imploring him:

"I love you! Don't drive me away, Kondraty Ivanovitch," she besought
him. "I can't live without you!"

They listened to her entreaties, and after consulting together, took
her into the company as a "countess"--the name they used for the minor
actresses who usually came on to the stage in crowds or in dumb parts.
To begin with Masha used to play maid-servants and pages, but when
Madame Beobahtov, the flower of Limonadov's company, eloped, they made
her _ingenue_. She acted badly, lisped, and was nervous. She soon grew
used to it, however, and began to be liked by the audience. Fenogenov
was much displeased.

"To call her an actress!" he used to say. "She has no figure, no
deportment, nothing whatever but silliness."

In one provincial town the company acted Schiller's "Robbers."
Fenogenov played Franz, Masha, Amalie. The tragedian shouted and
quivered. Masha repeated her part like a well-learnt lesson, and the
play would have gone off as they generally did had it not been for
a trifling mishap. Everything went well up to the point where Franz
declares his love for Amalie and she seizes his sword. The tragedian
shouted, hissed, quivered, and squeezed Masha in his iron embrace. And
Masha, instead of repulsing him and crying "Hence!" trembled in his
arms like a bird and did not move,... she seemed petrified.

"Ha