Irene, who had heard all about Mr. Macaulay and his brusque approach before she had tried to get into the Academy a year ago, said that she knew she hadn’t made the grade the minute he had started being kind to her.
“Why did he reject you?” Peggy asked.
“He said that a girl as pretty as me didn’t need acting lessons,” Irene said with a laugh. “He said that even if I learned to be a good actress, I would never have a chance to prove it, because I would be given the kind of parts that just need looks. I told him that I wanted to be a good actress as well as a pretty one and he told me that it would be a tragic mistake, because there aren’t any parts written for people like that!” She laughed again, then in a more sober tone, added, “I think he was just being kind to me and trying to make me feel good. And you know what? He succeeded!”
As the conversation turned to plays and roles and types of actresses, the other girls joined in. They had just gotten to a spirited and somewhat noisy discussion of the ability of a well-known actress, when May Berriman came in.
“Well, Amy and Peggy!” she said. “I see you’ve met everybody and you’re right at home! Good! Now let me make you feel even more at home by acting like a mother. Do you girls know that it’s very late? And do you know that I’ve been busy making hot chocolate for you? And that it’s waiting in the kitchen right now, getting cool? Well, now you know, so get moving!”
The seven girls and May Berriman trooped downstairs to the big, homey kitchen that Peggy had noticed on her first visit. Full of friendly people and the smell of hot chocolate and homemade cookies, the kitchen seemed to Peggy the nicest place she had ever been. Seated in antique painted chairs around the long sawbuck table with May Berriman at its head, they passed around cookies and chocolate and continued the discussion of the prominent actress, carefully taking her apart, gesture by gesture, until it seemed a wonder that she had ever gotten so much as a walk-on role.
“It’s all very easy to criticize your elders and betters,” May Berriman finally said, “but it’s quite another thing to stand up on the stage with them and act on their level! That’s not to say that I disapprove of discussions like this. I think they’re good, because they do develop your critical abilities, but I think they can be carried too far.” With a glance at the clock, she added, “And I think this one has gone far enough into the night. Now all of you, get up to bed. Peggy and Amy haven’t even unpacked yet!”
VII
The Biggest Stage
There were no meals served at May Berriman’s Gramercy Arms, but the big kitchen was considered common property, and anyone who wanted to was allowed to prepare breakfast and dinner there. Lunches were eaten at restaurants and counters.
Each of the girls had a wire basket labeled and filled with her own food in the giant hotel-size refrigerator, and each was given shelf space for other things. Since Peggy and Amy had not stocked up the night before, the other girls invited them to share breakfast with them.