fed. On this one night at least he had fed it full. Was
not _she_ stretching her great lips in a smile?

Sometimes Claude heard faint movements, slight coughing, little sounds
like minute whispers from the crowd. Now and then there was applause.
Alston Lake was applauded strongly once after a phrase which showed off
his magnificent voice, and Charmian looked quickly round at Claude with
cheeks flushing, and shining eyes, which said plainly, "It is coming!
Listen! The triumph is on the way!" Then the widespread silence of an
attentive crowd fell again, like some vast veil falling, and Claude
attended intensely to the music as if it were the music of another.

After the first act there was more applause, which sounded in their box
rather strong in patches but scattered. The singers were called three
times, but always in this unconcentrated way.

"It's going splendidly. They like it!" said Charmian quickly. "Three
calls. That's unusual after a first act, when the audience hasn't warmed
up. Isn't it odd, Claudie, that Americans always applaud quite
differently from the way the English do? They always applaud like that."

She had turned right round and was almost facing him.

"How do you mean?" he said.

"Didn't you notice? Persistently, but in clumps as it were. It is by
their persistence they show how pleased they are, rather than by
their--their--I hardly know just how to put it."

"By their unanimity perhaps."

"Oh, no! Not exactly that! Here's Mr. Crayford."

Crayford slipped in, but only stayed for a moment.

"Hear that applause?" he said. "They're mad about it. Alston's got them.
I knew he would. That boy's going to be famous. But wait till the
second act. They're in a fine humor, only asking to be pleased. I know
the signs. The libretto's hit them hard. They're all asking what's to
happen next."

"You're satisfied then?" said Charmian.

"Satisfied! I'm so happy I don't know what to do."

He was gone.

"He knows!" Charmian said.

Her eyes were fixed upon Claude. They looked almost defiant.

"If anyone in America knows what he is talking about I suppose it is Mr.
Crayford," she added.

There was a tap at the door. Claude opened it and two of their American
friends came in and stayed a few minutes, saying how well the opera was
going, how much they liked it, how splendidly it was "put on"--all the
proper and usual things which are said by proper and usual persons on
such occasions. One of them was