carelessly arranged
her drapery and the band of roses encircling her hair.

Then the hoyden was gone. In an instant, Nell was transformed into the
princess, Almahyde. The room had been filled with breathless suspense;
but what seemed to the players an endless period of time was but a
minute. Nell turned to the manager, and with all the suavity of a
princess of tragedy kissed her hand tantalizingly to him and said: "Now,
Jack, I'll teach you how to act."

She passed out, and, in a moment, rounds of applause from the
amphitheatre filled the room. She was right; the audience would wait for
her.

A moment later, the greenroom was deserted except for Manager Hart and
Lord Buckingham. Hart had thrown the call-boy almost bodily through the
door that led to the stage, thus venting his anger upon the unoffending
lad, who had been unfortunate enough to happen in his way ill betimes.
He now stood vainly contemplating himself before the glass and awaiting
his cue. Buckingham leaned upon a chair-top, uncertain as to his course.

"Damme! She shall rue this work," he muttered at length. "A man might as
well make love to a wind-mill. I forgot to tell her how her gown becomes
her. That is a careless thing to forget." The reflection forthwith
determined his course. "Nelly, Nelly, Nelly," he called as he quickly
crossed the room after the departed Nell, "you are divine to-night. Your
gown is simply--"

The manager's voice stayed him at the stage-door. "My lord, come back;
my lord--"

Buckingham's hand had gone so far, indeed, as to push open the door. He
stood entranced as he looked out upon the object of his adoration upon
the stage. "Perfection!" he exclaimed. "Your eyes--"

"My lord, my lord, you forget--"

Buckingham turned indignantly at the voice which dared to interrupt him
in the midst of his rhapsody.

"You forget--your oranges, my lord," mildly suggested Hart, as he
pointed to the fruit scattered upon the floor.

Buckingham's face crimsoned. "Plague on't! They are sour, Master Hart."
With a glance of contempt, he turned on his heel and left the room.

A triumphant smile played upon the manager's face. He felt that he had
annoyed his lordship without his intention being apparent. "A good exit,
on my honour," he muttered, as he stood contemplating the door through
which Buckingham had passed; "but, by Heaven, he shall better it unless
he takes his eyes from Nell. Great men believe themselves resistless
with the fair;