"But you'll consent?"
"Rather! Especially if Algerson will take over Rideout's contract as it stands. It provides for pretty good royalties, and as a prospective bridegroom I'm very much interested in such sordid matters."
Joan traced a meaningless pattern on the cloth with a tine of her fork; glanced surreptitiously at Matthias; remembered that toying with the tableware wasn't good form, and quietly abandoned the occupation.
"I wonder ..." she murmured abstractedly.
"You wonder what—?" Matthias prompted when she failed to round out her thought.
She laughed uneasily. "I was just wondering if—if he gets the piece—Algerson would give me a chance at my old part?"
"Not with my consent," said Matthias promptly. "You know I don't want you to stick at that game."
"But I'm tired doing nothing," she pouted prettily.
Matthias shook his stubborn head. "Besides," he added quickly, "Algerson will probably try the show out in one of his stock houses before he goes to the expense of organizing a new and separate production. I mean, he'll use people already on his pay roll, and not engage outsiders until he knows pretty well whether he's got a success or a failure on his hands."
"You think he will produce out West?"