“Poor man!” said Mrs. Green, sympathizingly, “it must have been terrible hard for him, an’ he couldn’t had a great deal of comfort with his arms.” And then, as she looked over her spectacles pityingly at the miniature Macbeth, and noticed that it was the covers of her wash-boilers that he wore, she said, “You must be awful careful not to tumble down, Dickey, for you never could get up; an’ besides, if anybody should step on you they’d spoil them covers, an’ one of ’em’s ’most new.”
Dickey made no promise, but his face showed plainly that he appreciated the danger he would be in if he should fall over, and that he was determined to stand as straight as possible in the combat which would take place in the third act.
All of the company save Dickey and Johnny seated themselves at the table, and began to make a hearty but hurried meal. Johnny stood up in a careful manner, and got along very well, but poor Dickey could neither sit down nor help himself. He made one or two vain efforts to pick up a biscuit from the table, but his armor would not permit, and he was about to lean back against the wall in helpless indignation, when Mrs. Green noticed him.
“Poor child!” she said, in a motherly tone, “I do think it is a shame for Mopsey to rig you up in such a way that you can’t eat, an’ you do have such a good appetite.”
“He wanted to play Macbeth,” said Mopsey, anxious to clear himself from any blame, “an’ if he plays it he’s got to go that way.”
“Yes, I wanted to play it,” said Dickey, in a pathetic tone that told he would never want to do such an uncomfortable thing again. “I wanted to, but I didn’t know I was goin’ to be fixed so’s I couldn’t even wiggle.”
Mrs. Green went without her own supper for the sake of giving Dickey his, and she fed him patiently, while he stood with outstretched hands leaning against the wall, but able to eat all that was put in his mouth.
By the time the boys were through supper Nelly came into the room, dressed for her portion of the work in the evening’s performance; and even Mopsey, who the day before had suggested that she should wear a sword, thought she looked charming in her white dress with blue ribbons.
It was very near the time set for opening the doors, and already they could hear a crowd of boys on the sidewalk, as they jostled and pushed in their efforts to enter before the managers were ready to receive them. Mopsey, excited at this clamor of the public, drove his company up-stairs, and hurried Mrs. Green to such an extent that she concluded to let her house-work go until after the performance, and went down to open the door.