He made a gallant effort to wipe his tears away. "I had to tell you," he said, gulping.
"Be all right in a minute," he added, "calm," and sat still....
Kipps stared in commiseration of such success. Then he heard footsteps and went quickly to the house doorway. "Jest a minute," he said. "Don't go in the shop, Ann, for a minute. It's Chitterlow. He's a bit essited. But he'll be better in a minute. It's knocked him over a bit. You see"—his voice sank to a hushed note as one who announces death—"'e's made a success with his play."
He pushed her back lest she should see the scandal of another male's tears....
Soon Chitterlow felt better, but for a little while his manner was even alarmingly subdued. "I had to come and tell you," he said. "I had to astonish someone. Muriel—she'll be firstrate, of course. But she's over at Dymchurch." He blew his nose with enormous noise, and emerged instantly a merely garrulous optimist.
"I expect she'll be precious glad."
"She doesn't know yet, my dear boy. She's at Dymchurch—with a friend. She's seen some of my first nights before.... Better out of it.... I'm going to her now. I've been up all night—talking to the boys and all that. I'm a bit off it just for a bit. But—it Knocked 'em. It Knocked everybody."
He stared at the floor and went on in a monotone. "They laughed a bit at the beginning—but nothing like a settled laugh—not until the second act—you know—the chap with the beetle down his neck. Little Chisholme did that bit to rights. Then they began—to rights." His voice warmed and increased. "Laughing! It made me laugh! We jumped 'em into the third act before they had time to cool. Everybody was on it. I never saw a first night go so fast. Laugh, laugh, laugh, LAUGH, LAUGH, LAUGH" (he howled the last word with stupendous violence). Everything they laughed at. They laughed at things that we hadn't meant to be funny—not for one moment. Bif! Bizz! Curtain. A Fair Knock-Out!... I went on—but I didn't say a word. Chisholme did the patter. Shouting! It was like walking under Niagara—going across that stage. It was like never having seen an audience before....
"Then afterwards—the Boys!"