mysterious and cruel pity in her
voice whispered: "It isn't good for you to get so irritated and
also, you ought not lace yourself so tightly."

"Why?"

"It may harm you, because . . . because . . ." and she whispered the
rest into Janina's ear.

The blood rushed to Janina's face with shame at the thought that
Sowinska had recognized her condition which she was seeking to
conceal. She had no more strength left to reply to her, nor time
either, for she had to go on the stage.

They were playing The Peasant Emigration and Janina appeared in the
first act as a super.

In the men's dressing-room that evening, a storm broke out. In the
intermission before the so-called "Christmas Eve" scene of the play,
Topolski, who was acting the part of "Bartek Kozica," sent to
Cabinski a letter, or a sort of ultimatum demanding fifty rubles for
himself and Majkowska and, in case of a denial, refusing to play any
further. While waiting for Cabinski's reply, he began slowly to
remove his make-up.

Cabinski came running almost with tears in his eyes and cried: "I
will give you twenty rubles. Oh, oh! you people have no mercy on
me!"

"Give me fifty rubles and we shall continue to play; if you don't
then . . ." Here he unglued one half of his mustache and began to
take off his leggings.

"For God's sake man! there is only one hundred rubles in all in the
treasury and that is hardly enough to cover the expenses."

"Let me have fifty rubles immediately, or else you can finish the
play yourself or return the public its money," calmly said Topolski,
pulling off his other legging.

"Up till now, I had thought that you, at least, were a man! Just
think what you are doing to us all," pleaded Cabinski.

"Don't you see, Director . . . I am undressing."

The intermission was being prolonged and the public outside was
beginning to shout and stamp its feet with impatience.

"No, I should sooner have expected death than that! And you, who are
my best friend, are you going to go back on me now?" continued
Cabinski.

"My dear Director, there's no use talking any further. You can fool
everyone else, but not me."

"But I haven't the money. If I give you thirty rubles now, I will
have nothing left with which to pay the rent of the theater!" cried
Cabinski in despair, running about the dressing-room.

"I have said: if you do not give us fifty rubles, we shall go
straight home."

In the hall there began to rise a very pandemonium of sho