The curtain descended and, a moment later, the audience burst into thunderous applause. Peggy, limp with excitement, watched in almost shocked surprise as Paula rose from the stage. She had half expected her to remain sobbing on the floor as she had done in rehearsals, but now, when Paula stood up, Peggy saw that her face was suffused with a smile of pure girlish delight. She was good! The audience knew she was good ... the cast knew she was good ... and—most important—she now knew it herself. Radiantly, she came to Peggy and said, in a quiet and controlled voice, “I think we’re doing well, don’t you?”
Then both of them laughed aloud, knowing beyond all shadow of a doubt that this was the understatement of the evening.
A few minutes before the third act, Randy knocked at the dressing-room door.
“Come in,” Peggy said. “We’re decent.”
“You’re more than decent,” Randy said with a grin, “you’re marvelous! Both of you,” he added, with a nod to Greta.
“Thank you,” Greta said. “And now, if I know anythink about anything, I think I’d better leave you two alone!”
“Greta!” Peggy said in confusion. “I don’t know what you mean by....”
“You tell her, Randy,” Greta said, edging past him. “But don’t take too long. We’re on in a few minutes.”
“She’s ... she’s just being silly,” Peggy said, blushing.
“Is she?” Randy asked innocently. “I thought she was making perfect sense!”