to buy all that had appeared. Hubert expected to find
in these papers a more delicate appreciation of his work. Many of the
critics of the evening press were his personal friends, and nearly all were
young men in full sympathy with the new school of dramatic thought. He read
paper after paper with avidity; and Annie was sent in a cab to buy one that
had not yet found its way so far north as Fitzroy Street. The opinion of
this paper was of all importance, and Hubert tore it open with trembling
fingers. Although more temperately written than the others, it was clearly
favourable, and Hubert sighed a sweet sigh of relief. A weight was lifted
from him; the world suddenly seemed to grow brighter; and he went to the
theatre that evening, and, half doubting and half confidently, presented
himself at the door of Montague Ford's dressing-room. The actor had not yet
begun to dress, and was busy writing letters. He stretched his hand
hurriedly to Hubert.

'Excuse me, my dear fellow; I have a couple of letters to finish.'

Hubert sat down, glancing nervously from the actor to the morning papers
with which the table was strewn. There was not an evening paper there. Had
he not seen them? At the end of about ten minutes the actor said,--

'Well, this is a bad business; they are terribly down on us--aren't they?
What do you think?'

'Have you seen the evening papers--_The Telephone_, for instance?'

'Oh yes, I've seen them all; but the evening papers don't amount to much.
Stiggins's article was terrible. I am afraid he has killed the piece.'

'Don't you think it will run, then?'

'Well, that depends upon the public, of course. If they like it, I'll keep
it on.'

'How's the booking?'

'Not good.' Montague Ford moved his papers absent-mindedly. At the end of a
long silence he said, 'Even if the piece did catch on, it would take a lot
of working up to undo the mischief of those articles. Of course you can
rely on me to give it every chance. I shan't take it out of the bills if I
can possibly help.'

'There is my _Gipsy_.'

'I have another piece ready to put into rehearsal; it was arranged for six
months ago. I only consented to produce your play because--well, because
there has been such an outcry lately about art.... Tremendous part for me
in the new piece... I'm sure you'll like it.'

The business did improve, but so very slowly that Hubert was afraid Ford
would lose patience and take the play out of the bills. But while th