nist.

But it is not to be imagined that such a cardinal event as the elevation
of a chit like Millicent Stanway to the principal role could achieve
itself without much friction and consequent heat. Many ladies of the
chorus thought that the committee no longer deserved the confidence of
the society. At least three suspected that the conductor had a private
spite against themselves. And one, aged thirty-five, felt convinced that
she was the victim of an elaborate and scandalous plot. To this maid had
been offered Milly's old part of Ella; it was a final insult--but she
accepted it. In the scene with Angela and Bunthorne in the first act,
the new Ella made the same mistake three times at the words, 'In a
doleful train,' and the conductor grew sarcastic.

'May I show you how that bit goes, Miss Gardner?' said Milly afterwards
with exquisite pertness.

'No, thank you, Milly,' was the freezing emphasised answer; 'I dare say
I shall be able to manage without _your_ assistance.'

'Oh, ho!' sang Milly, delighted to have provoked this exhibition, and
she began a sort of Carmen dance of disdain.

'Girls grow up so quick nowadays!' Miss Gardner exclaimed, losing
control of herself; 'who are _you_, I should like to know!' and she
proceeded with her irrelevant inquiries: 'who's _your_ father? Doesn't
every one know that he'll have gone smash before the night of the
show?' She was shaking, insensate, brutal.

Millicent stood still, and went very white.

'Miss Gardner!'

'_Miss_ Stanway!'

The rival divas faced each other, murderous, for a few seconds, and then
Milly turned, laughing, to Harry Burgess, who, consciously secretarial,
was standing near with several others.

'Either Miss Gardner apologises to me at once,' she said lightly, 'at
_once_, or else either she or I leave the Society.'

Milly tapped her foot, hummed, and looked up into Miss Gardner's eyes
with serene contempt. Ethel was not the only one who was amazed at the
absolute certitude of victory in little Millicent's demeanour. Harry
Burgess spoke apart with the conductor upon this astonishing
contretemps, and while he did so Milly, still smiling, hummed rather
more loudly the very phrase of Ella's at which Miss Gardner had
stumbled. It was a masterpiece of insolence.

'We think Miss Gardner should withdraw the expression,' said Harry after
he had coughed.

'Never!' said Miss Gardner. 'Good-bye all!'

Thus ended Miss Gardner's long career as an operati