rranged, for by this time he knew the
words of this one scene, and what with the wine and the growing sense of
freedom, he did pretty well, and when he sat in the arm-chair with his
face in his hands Miss Belmont no longer gabbled her lines, but spoke
them with all the feeling and fervour of which she was mistress. And
when she came to her 'Good-bye, good-bye,' Paul, who at all times was
easily emotional, was crying softly. He rose with outspread arms and the
tears on his face and his voice broke. The leading lady rushed at him
and clipped him round the neck, and Paul clipped the leading lady in a
perfectly innocent enthusiasm and strained her to his breast.

'You--little--devil!' she whispered, as she drew away from him and
stabbed him with one wicked flash of her blue eyes. 'I'll forgive you
this time,' she added half a minute later; 'but it isn't professional.'

'Time for one more run through, ladies and gentlemen,' said the
stage-manager, and once more the task began.

Miss Belmont's eyes plagued Paul most of the time, now with a look
of serious affront, now with a sort of mocking challenge. Now, he was
inclined to try that grip again to see how she would take it, and the
mocking eyes invited him. Then he dared not so much as think of it, for
the eyes looked severe offence at him. When the time came he was like a
wooden doll handling a wooden doll.

'Pooh!' said Miss Belmont, pettishly drawing back from him. 'That won't
do. Try again.'

They harked back to the beginning of the scene. The others had stolen
away to their various dressing-rooms. Only the stage-manager was left,
and he was engaged in talking with the leader of the orchestra, who had
just come in with a fiddle-case beneath his arm peeping out from his
shabby paletot The farewell speech came, and it was only breathed. She
had always dearly, dearly loved him. She had lost him by her pride, her
coquetry--her silly, silly, heartless coquetry. Her fingers touched him
on the cheek soft as a snowflake, and lingered there whilst the cooing
voice went on. Then came the 'Good-bye' again and the answering call.
She paused and looked, and darted to him, and they clung together, she
leaning back her head and tangling his eyes in hers.

'You hold me like that,' she breathed, 'until the curtain falls,'

She released herself gradually from his embrace, and drew away. Paul's
pulses beat to a strange tune, and he was afraid to look at her.

'Ah!' she said, in a vo