“If only he would not go too far in his jesting,” remarked Mrs. Burney, shaking her head. “Mr. Garrick sometimes forgets himself.”
“That is how it comes that he is the greatest actor in the world,” said James. “It is only when a man has learned to forget himself completely that he causes everyone else to remember him. Now there's the text for a homily that you can write to your Daddy Crisp, Fanny.”
“I'll note it, Jim, and if Mr. Crisp breaks off correspondence with me you shall bear the blame,” said Fanny.
“Mercy on us!” whispered Susy when she was alone with her sister a little later. “I never got such a fright as when Mr. Garrick pretended to read your secret. Thank goodness! he failed to get the least inkling of it.”
“Thank goodness, indeed!” whispered Fanny. But she was thinking of quite a different secret when she spoke.
CHAPTER XVIII
HE was beside her before she was aware of it, in the great music-room at Lady Hales's house. She had not seen him approach her—she could not have done so without turning round, for he had approached her from behind, and slipped into the chair that Esther had vacated in order to play to the company. Esther's husband, who had been in the seat beyond her, had been led away some time earlier by Mr. Linley's clever son in order that he might give an opinion respecting one of the songs in a piece named The Duenna, which was about to be produced at Drury Lane.
He was beside her and whispering in her ear, though she had not even known that he was to be present.