ound rent . . . . . . . . . . . . Nominal
Musicians and music . . . . . . . . L600
Paint, materials, etc. . . . . . . . L400
Food for the birds and fishes . . . L25

There was a dead silence. One or two men smiled. Others stared.
Others pulled their noses or smoothed their hair. Griffenberg laughed
harshly and said,--

'Excuse me, Mr Mann. I didn't quite catch that last item.'

Charles who was entirely unaware of the changed atmosphere looked up
and repeated,--

'Food for the birds and fishes.... There must be beautiful birds
flying in the outdoor theatre. In the courtyard there must be
fish-ponds with rare fish....'

'We are not proposing to build a villa of Tiberius,' snapped
Griffenberg, who was deeply wounded. 'I cannot agree to a scheme which
includes birds and fishes.'

Clara was bristling with fury against Charles for being so childish,
and against Griffenberg for taking advantage of him. She knew that
Charles was in an ecstasy, and unable to cope with any practical point
they chose to raise. It would have been fair for Griffenberg to take
exception to his estimates, but not to the birds and fishes.... Her
sense of justice was so outraged that to keep herself from intervening
she slipped out of the room and gave vent to her fury in the darkness
of the passage.

The worst happened. The scheme was forgotten; the birds and fishes
were remembered.... Griffenberg asked rather insolently if Mr Mann
proposed to publish the scheme as it stood, and Charles, who did not
detect the insolence, said that he certainly intended to publish the
scheme and had indeed already sent a copy to the Press Association.

'As your own or as the Committee's scheme?'

Mr Clott intervened,--

'I made it quite clear that the scheme was Mr Mann's own, and Mr Mann
sent with it what I may say is a very beautiful description of his
theatre as it will be in being.'

'Theatres in the air,' said some one, and all, just a little ashamed,
though with a certain bravado of geniality to cover their shame, rose
to go.

As they came out of the room Clara darted up the stairs and heard their
remarks as they departed. 'Birds and fishes.' ... 'Extraordinary man.'
... 'Fairy tale.' ... 'Damned impudence.'

Charles, still unmindful of any change, moved among them thanking them
warmly for their support and explaining that if he had been somewhat
long in reading it was because he had wished to leave no room for