The people were waking up. And she felt as if they were being
prepared for her. But why had Fritz looked like that, spoken like that?
It seemed to spoil everything. To-day she felt too far away from--too far
beyond, that was the truth--Miss Schley to want to enter into any rivalry
with her. She wished very much that she had been placed first on the
programme. Then there could have been no question of her cutting out the
American.
As she was thinking this Miss Schley slowly crossed the room and came up
to her.
"Lady Holme," she said, "I come next."
"Do you?"
"I do. And then you follow after."
"Well?"
"Say, would you mind changing it? It don't do to have two recitations one
after the other. There ought to be something different in between."
Lady Holme looked at her quite eagerly, almost with gratitude.
"I'll sing next," she said quickly.
"Much obliged to you, I'm sure. You're perfectly sweet."
Lady Holme saw again a faint look of surprise on the American's white
face, succeeded instantly by an expression of satisfaction. She realised
that Miss Schley had some hidden disagreeable reason for her request. She
even guessed what it was. But she only felt glad that, whatever happened,
no one could accuse her of trying to efface any effect made by Miss
Schley upon the audience. As she sang before the "imitations," if any
effect were to be effaced it must be her own. The voice of the French
actor ceased, almost drowned in a ripple of laughter, a burst of quite
warm applause.
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