d one half would laugh and the other half
boo and hiss."

"I know--I know. Still, he holds command, and he likes his own way, no
man better."

"No doubt, but whatever a man wills he has to give up when a woman says
yea or nay. My good duchess means to have a word with him over the
songs."

"If that's so John Rich had better capitulate at once. He's as good as
beaten."

Lavinia could only catch a word of this talk here and there. She was
being pestered by half a dozen sparkish admirers who were somewhat taken
aback when they discovered that the "gentlewoman who had never appear'd
on any stage before" could more than hold her own in repartee and give
the fops of fashion as good as or better than they gave. How could they
tell that the sprightly young budding actress had graduated in the wit
and slang of the streets?

But she was pestered and peeved all the same, for she dearly wanted to
talk to Gay and Spiller. At last the modish gadflies got tired of having
their smart talk turned against them, and one by one fell off,
especially as Huddy, whose blunt speech was not much to their taste,
came up and intruded without apology into their vapid banter.

"The gal's done well, Spiller," said Huddy, "and I'm obleeged to ye. Now
I want to get on the road and waste no time about it. I ought to be at
Woolwich afore a fortnight's over, then Dartford, Gravesend, Rochester,
Maidstone, and so away on to Dover. What d'ye say, miss? I can give ye a
good engagement--no fixed salary in course--sharing out, that's the rule
with travelling companies--Mr. Spiller knows what I'm a'telling you is
right."

Lavinia hardly knew what to say to this, and she turned to Spiller for
advice. Huddy saw the look of doubt on her face, and went on with his
argument.

"It's this way, miss. I don't say as you didn't play to-night to my
satisfaction--thanks to my rehearsing of you--but you've got a lot to
learn, and, by God, you won't learn it better anywhere in the world than
with me. Ask Mr. Spiller--ask Mr. Hippisley. They know what's what, and
they'll tell you the same."

Spiller nodded.

"You've made a good beginning, but the more practice you have the
better. Isn't that so, Mr. Gay? Mr. Gay has great hopes of you, my dear
and--but you'd better hear what he has to say."

"Oh, I should dearly love to," murmured Lavinia.

They were now in the green room. Mrs. Fitzgerald was on the stage
singing "in English and French," and her shrill tones