The Main Street Shylocks all lived in the same house and not one of them was in. Betty pursued them back to the campus, caught one at the library and another in chemistry “lab.,” and followed the third down town where she was discovered going into Cuyler’s for an ice. As this last captive happened to be the most promising Shylock, next to the ones that Mr. Masters had already seen, Betty led her back to the campus in triumph, too thankful at having her safe to notice that it was fully a quarter to five before they reached college hall.
Roberta was sitting by herself on a low window-seat near Miss Kingston’s door. She looked pale and frightened and hardly smiled in answer to Betty’s gay little nod and wave of the hand.
“Goodness, I hope she’ll do decently,” thought Betty, and was opening the door as softly as possible when somebody gave it a quick push from the other side. It was the great Mr. Masters coming out again.
“Oh, Miss Lewis,” he called over to Roberta, “have you learned the Portia scenes too? I forgot to ask you. Well, suppose you come over and read them to-night. We should all like to hear you.”
Betty stared in amazement; so did the Shylocks who crowded the stairs and windowledges. There was no mistaking the fact that this time the great Mr. Masters was genuinely pleased. He held the door open for Betty to pass into the office, assured Roberta once more that he should expect to see her in the evening, and went inside himself, leaving a buzz of excitement behind him and meeting a similar buzz that hushed politely as he came forward.
“Well, Miss Kingston,” he said, rubbing his hands together with an air of supreme satisfaction, “we’ve found our Shylock. I’m glad you let her in first this time. I was really getting worried. May I ask why you young ladies kept her up your sleeves so long?”
Barbara explained.
“But you must have known about her,” Mr. Masters persisted. “Why, she’s marvelous. She’d save your play for you, single-handed. Hasn’t she taken part in any of your college performances?”
Barbara explained about that too.
“Then how did she happen to come to light at all?” he demanded.