“Why did you leave pictures?” Peggy asked. “I mean, if you were working, and if you were starting to be an established actor, why did you come to the Academy to study?”
“I didn’t like the roles I was being given,” Mal answered. “It’s because of my face, you know. I look like a young thug, so I was given nothing but young thug parts. But, when you come to think of it, how many roles are there for young thugs with English accents? Besides, I didn’t want to spend the whole of my life in cops-and-robbers films. I decided that I should try the stage, where I might have a chance to play a variety of roles. Also, I thought I might like to direct. The trouble was that I had no experience with stage technique, so I applied to the Academy for a year of basic training. It was there that I met Randy, who has given me my first chance to direct, and now that I’ve had a taste of it, I know that’s what I really want to do.”
“It’s nice of you to say that I’ve given you a chance to direct,” Randy put in, “but unless Peggy and Amy can produce a theater, I’m afraid that the chance will be a strictly imaginary one. Which reminds me, how are you girls doing with the search?”
Peggy told him about the troubles they had encountered in making up a list, and he nodded sympathetically. “We’re finished with that part of it now,” she said in tones of relief, “and we only have to finish checking against the phone book before we go out to look.”
“And when will you start?” Randy asked.
“Tomorrow afternoon, I think,” she said. “We ought to be done with the telephone book by noon, if we don’t sleep the whole morning away as a result of this heavy dinner. Then we can look in the afternoon.”
“Sounds good,” Randy said. “It looks as if the best help we can give you is to see to it that you work off this dinner so that you don’t waste the morning in sleep! What do you suggest, Mal?”
“Dancing,” Mal said firmly. “Best way to get rid of the full feeling. But, unfortunately, I can’t dance on an empty stomach, so we’d best order a sweet, right?”
The girls and Randy protested with groans, but somehow managed to eat every scrap of the thin pancakes with lingonberries that Mal ordered for them. A final cup of coffee, and then it was time to go.
“I feel as if my dress is going to split any minute!” Peggy whispered to Amy. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to walk to the door, much less dance!”