When he became tired trying to think, he made the tour again in a

stupid sort of way, then rang for his servant, Burgess, and started

mechanically about his dressing.

Nothing any longer seemed real, not even pain.

He rang for Burgess again, but the fellow did not appear. So he

dressed without aid. And at last he was ready; and went out, drunk

with fatigue and the reaction from pain.

He did not afterward remember how he came to the theatre.

Presently he found himself in a lower tier box, talking to a Mrs.

Paige who, curiously, miraculously, resembled the girlish portraits

Advertisement..

of his mother--or he imagined so--until he noticed that her hair

was yellow and her eyes blue. And he laughed crazily to himself,

inwardly convulsed; and then his own voice sounded again, low,

humorous, caressingly modulated; and he listened to it, amused that

he was able to speak at all.

"And so you are the wonderful Ailsa Paige," he heard himself

repeating. "Camilla wrote me that I must beware of my peace of

mind the moment I first set eyes on you----"

"Camilla Lent is supremely silly, Mr. Berkley----"

"Camilla is a sibyl. This night my peace of mind departed for

ever."

"May I offer you a little of mine?"

"I may ask more than that of you?"

"You mean a dance?"

"More than one."

"How many?"

"All of them. How many will you give me?"

"One. Please look at the stage. Isn't Laura Keene bewitching?"

"Your voice is."

"Such nonsense. Besides, I'd rather hear what Laura Keene is

saying than listen to you."

"Do you mean it?"

"Incredible as it may sound, Mr. Berkley, I really do."

He dropped back in the box. Camilla laid her painted fan across

his arm.

"Isn't Ailsa Paige the most enchanting creature you ever saw? I

told you so! Isn't she?"

"Except one. I was looking at some pictures of her a half an hour

ago."

"She must be very beautiful," sighed Camilla.

"She was."

"Oh. . . . Is she dead?"

"Murdered."

Camilla looked at the stage in horrified silence. Later she

touched him again on the arm, timidly.

"Are you not well, Mr. Berkley?"

"Perfectly. Why?"

"You are so pale. Do look at Ailsa Paige. I am completely

enamoured of her. Did you ever see such a lovely creature in all

your life? And she is very young but very wise. She knows useful

and charitable things--like nursing the sick, and dressing

injuries, and her own hats. And she actually served a whole year

in the horrible city hospital! Wasn't it brave of her!"




Most Popular