Was it really? Well, if he simply hadn't the strength to go on living another day without going on the stage, the only thing, clearly, was just to hire a theatre and go on! A matinée, perhaps. Why not Romeo?
"And why not Juliet?" said he, rather rashly.
"Oh, that would be lovely!"
Her attention wandered at this moment. A very pretty, fair woman was rising from behind a palm where she had been seated with her back to the room. She went out rather quickly, followed by a good-looking young man with a single eye-glass.
"They have been trying to hide!" she exclaimed. "What a joke! It's that sweet Valentia Wyburn and Harry de Freyne. They must have been here when we arrived, for we should have seen them come in. I wonder what they came for?"
"To have tea, perhaps?" suggested Rathbone, after deep thought, shrewdly.
"Yes, yes, I know. But why hide like that?"
"Perhaps they didn't want to be seen," said Rathbone brilliantly.
"Yes, of course, but why not? I hope it doesn't show...."
"Well, it shows there's nothing in it, or they wouldn't come here."