“You will get on, Miss Langton. How can you doubt it!”
“How can I do anything but doubt it? I have waited so long, and seem no nearer the end.”
“But you must be nearer the end.”
“Ah—but what end?”
She turned away with a little shrug of the shoulders, and his eyes followed her with interest. She was not massive and he found more attraction in her face than in those of all the professional beauties.
A few evenings later, as he was leaving the theater when his share of the performance was over, he saw Miss Langton in front of him walking down the quiet street where the stage-door was. A gentleman standing on the opposite pathway crossed over and raised his hat to her. Gerald Gibson saw her start, stop, hesitate, and finally put out her hand. Gerald passed them, but neither noticed him; and he recognized the gentleman as Colonel Richardson, whom he had met at Mrs. Falconer’s.
“That was the reason of her interest in Mrs. Falconer then!” thought Gerald.
CHAPTER XII.
Gerald Gibson had not gone many yards further down the street, after seeing the meeting between Miss Langton and Colonel Richardson, when he was overtaken by a fellow-actor, Aubrey Cooke.
“Did you see who little Langton was talking to?”