r depart, and the close of the act was ashes in his mouth.

The applause was tremendous. It was not as tremendous as that which
had greeted the plate-smashing comedy at the Hanbridge Empire, but
it was far more than sufficiently enthusiastic to startle and shock
Edward Henry. In fact, his cold indifference was so conspicuous amid
that fever that in order to save his face he had to clap and to smile.

And the dreadful thought crossed his mind, traversing it like the
shudder of a distant earthquake that presages complete destruction:

"Are the ideas of the Five Towns all wrong? Am I a provincial after
all?"

For hitherto, though he had often admitted to himself that he was
a provincial, he had never done so with sincerity: but always in a
manner of playful and rather condescending badinage.

III

"Did you ever see such scenery and costumes?" someone addressed him
suddenly, when the applause had died down. It was Mr. Alloyd, who had
advanced up the aisle from a back row of the stalls.

"No, I never did!" Edward Henry agreed.

"It's wonderful how Givington has managed to get away from the
childish realism of the modern theatre," said Mr. Alloyd, "without
being ridiculous."

"You think so!" said Edward Henry, judicially. "The question is--has
he?"

"Do you mean it's too realistic for you?" cried Mr. Alloyd. "Well, you
_are_ advanced! I didn't know you were as anti-representational as all
that!"

"Neither did I!" said Edward Henry. "What do you think of the play?"

"Well," answered Mr. Alloyd, low and cautiously, with a somewhat
shamed grin, "between you and me I think the play's bosh."

"Come, come!" Edward Henry murmured as if in protest.

The word "bosh" was almost the first word of the discussion which he
had comprehended, and the honest familiar sound of it did him good.
Nevertheless, keeping his presence of mind, he had forborne to welcome
it openly. He wondered what on earth "anti-representational" could
mean. Similar conversations were proceeding around him, and each could
be very closely heard, for the reason that, the audience being frankly
intellectual and anxious to exchange ideas, the management had wisely
avoided the expense and noise of an orchestra. The _entr'acte_ was
like a conversazione of all the cultures.

"I wish you'd give us some scenery and costumes like this in _your_
theatre," said Alloyd, as he strolled away.

The remark stabbed him like a needle; the pain was gone in an i