Many women of the stage acquire a habitual staginess and
theatricality, and it was quite conceivable that Carlotta had
relations with Yvette, and that, ridden by the old jealousy which had
been aroused through the announcement of Rosa's return to the Opéra
Comique, she was setting herself in an indefinite, clumsy, stealthy,
and melodramatic manner to prevent Rosa's appearance in "Carmen."
No doubt she had been informed of Rosa's conference with me in the
church of St. Gilles, and, impelled by some vague, obscure motive, had
travelled to London to discover me, and having succeeded, was
determined by some means to prevent me from getting into touch with
Rosa in Paris. So I conjectured roughly, and subsequent events
indicated that I was not too far wrong.
I laughed. The notion of the middle-aged prima donna going about in
waste places at dead of night to work mischief against a rival was
indubitably comic. I would make a facetious narrative of the meeting
for the amusement of Rosa at breakfast to-morrow in Paris. Then,
feeling all at once at the end of my physical powers, I continued my
way, and descended the steps to the Calais boat.
All was excitement there. Had I heard of the railway accident? Yes, I
had. I had been in it. Instantly I was surrounded by individuals who
raked me fore and aft with questions. I could not endure it; my
nervous energy, I realized, was exhausted, and having given a brief
outline of the disaster, I fled down the saloon stairs.
My sole desire was to rest; the need of unconsciousness, of
forgetfulness, was imperious upon me; I had had too many experiences
during the last few hours. I stretched myself on the saloon cushions,
making a pillow of the jewel-box.
"Shall we start soon?" I murmured to a steward.
"Yes, sir, in another five minutes. Weather's moderating, sir."
Other passengers were in the saloon, and more followed. As this would
be the first steamer to leave Dover that day, there was a good number
of voyagers on board, in spite of adverse conditions. I heard people
talking, and the splash of waves against the vessel's sides, and then
I went to sleep. Nothing could have kept me awake.