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Meroni, the Milanese conductor, mounted up from his place in the subterranean regions, smiling brilliantly and twisting his black moustaches. Alston Lake had got rid of his nervousness. He knew he had done well and was more "mad" about the opera than ever.
Mulworth, Meroni, and it was even rumored Jimber declared, the most perfect rehearsal they had ever been present at. "Exactly three hours and a half!" Crayford had remarked when the curtain came down on the fourth act. "So we come ahead of the Metropolitan. I've just heard they've had a set back with Sennier's opera; can't produce for nearly a week after the date they'd settled.
Claude, who was already standing up, hurried away toward the entrance and disappeared. Charmian sat biting her lips and tingling all over in an acute exasperation of the nerves. Behind her Armand Gillier sat in silence. Claude joined the people on the stage, and there was a long colloquy in which eventually Meroni, the conductor, took part.
"Mister Mulworth! How long will Claude take making the cuts, do you think?" "He'll have to stick at them all through the next act. If they're not made the act's a fizzle! Jeremy! See here! We've got to have a pin-light on Miss Mardon when she comes down that staircase!" He escaped. "Signor Meroni, I hear you have to make some cuts! D'you think " "Signora ma si! Ma si!" He escaped.
"Well, old chap, what's up? You don't look too pleased," said Alston to Claude as the door shut. "Don't you want to come out? But we must put our backs into this, you know. The fight's on, and a bully big fight it is. Seen the papers to-day?" "No. I haven't had a minute. I've been going through the orchestration with Meroni." "What does he say?" "He was very nice," answered Claude evasively.
And immediately she felt certain that that box was occupied. "Adelaide Shiffney's there!" Suddenly that certainty took possession of her. And Claude? Where was he? Hitherto she had supposed that Claude was behind the scenes, or perhaps in the orchestra sitting near the conductor, Meroni; but now jealousy sprang up in her. If Claude were with Adelaide Shiffney in that box while she sat alone!
"How quietly you take it!" "We're in for it. It would be no use to lose one's head." "No, of course! But oh, what a fight it is. I can scarcely believe that in a few days it must be over, that we shall know!" "Here's the coffee. Drink it up." She drank it. They went down in the lift. As they parted for Claude had to go to Meroni Charmian said: "Adelaide Shiffney's still here."
What can Miss Mardon mean by those frantic gesticulations, now by turning her back on Mr. Crayford and Claude? If only people " Meroni left the stage. In a moment the orchestra sounded once more. Charmian turned round instinctively for sympathy to Armand Gillier, and caught an unpleasant look in his large eyes. Instantly she was on the defensive.
There were stoppages, there were arguments, there was a row between Miss Mardon and Signor Meroni. Passages were re-tried, chaos seemed to descend upon the stage, engulfing the opera and all who had anything to do with it. Charmian grew cold with despair. "Thank God Adelaide did go away!" she said to herself at half-past one in the morning. She turned her head and saw Mrs.
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