“Yes,” said Mildred. “He must have high-brow stuff. I always tell him so.”
Then, quite magnificently, he said he intended to approach Leahurst about it. He thought he might very likely be able to make an arrangement with Leahurst, who was always on the lookout for a really good thing. And he looked hard at Miss Verinder, to observe the effect produced upon her by this august name.
Unfortunately, she had never till now heard the name. Alwyn was compelled to tell her all about Mr. Leahurst; and, doing so, he abandoned his magnificent air and spoke with profound reverence of this Napoleon of the theatrical world. Mr. Leahurst owned or controlled half a dozen theatres, he sometimes had nine or ten shows going at the same time, his interests were so wide that you never got to the end of them. Wherever you saw a real success you might ask if he wasn’t somehow in it. He had a marvellous flair. It was said, too, that why he scarcely ever went wrong, was because by his own business talent he could make a success of anything.
“Oh, then do approach him without delay,” said Miss Verinder eagerly. “See Mr. Leahurst at once; and come straight here and tell me the result. I shall be longing to hear.”
“Darling Emmeline,” said Mildred, “you are so kind. It is such a support to both of us.”
Not next day, but a few days later, she returned with an unusually excited Alwyn. The great Mr. Leahurst had considered his proposals in a most favourable spirit. He had, indeed, said that he might be inclined to do something with Sherwood’s play if Alwyn had behind him somebody willing to come into it with a few thousand pounds.
“Tell him you have somebody,” said Miss Verinder.
At first they did not understand what she meant, and then they said they could not possibly trade upon her kindness and generosity. Oh, no, it would be too mean and selfish to risk her money just for their advancement in life! But she was determined; and after yielding to her persuasion, Mildred fell into a sort of ecstasy of gratitude during which she uttered anything but compliments with regard to Mr. Parker.
“When I compare you with my own father, Oh, darling Emmeline, I do feel such contempt for him. It is he not you, who should be doing this for Ally. But would he have risked one penny-piece? No, not if we had crawled round Ennismore Gardens on our knees. If you only heard him grunting and grousing about the super-tax, when we all know he doesn’t spend half his income. Oh, how I hate misers!”