"Whew!" Mr. Chalker whistled the low note which indicates Surprise. "That's her husband, is it? The husband of Miss Carlotta Claradine, is it? Oho! oho! Her husband! Are you sure he is her husband?"
"Do you know him, then?"
"Yes, I know him. What was the real name of the girl?"
"Charlotte Smithers. This is her first appearance on any stage—and we made up the name for her when we first put her on the posters. I made it myself—out of Chlorodyne, you know, which is in the advertisements. Sounds well, don't it? Carlotta Claradine."
"Very well, indeed. By Jove! Her husband, is he?"
"And, I suppose," said the chairman, "lives on his wife's salary. Bless you, Mr. Chalker, there's a whole gang about every theater and music hall trying to get hold of the promising girls. It's a regular profession. Them as have nothing but their good looks may do for the mashers, but these chaps look out for the girls who'll bring in the money. What's a pretty face to them compared with the handling of a big salary every week? That's the sort Carlotta's husband belongs to."
"Well, the life will suit him down to the ground."
"And jealous with it, if you please. He comes here every night to applaud and takes her home himself. Keeps himself sober on purpose."
And then the lady appeared again in a wonderful costume of blue silk and tights, personating the Lion Masher. It was her third and last song.