“She never can be a great actress, with such poor opportunities as she can have,” he said to himself; “and she will go on from year to year hoping against hope, patiently enduring the same drudgery, living down perpetual disappointments, until some day, when she is sixty years of age, she will break her heart all at once because some petty provincial manager refuses her the _rôle_ of Juliet, after she has played it for forty years, like the actress in the old story. Poor little Lucy! She is not the kind of woman before whose indomitable courage all obstacles must succumb. She was made to be happy in a bright home.” “Hark!” cried the young lady of whom he was thinking, “there is Miss Ida Courtenay talking to Mr. de Mortemar.” “Miss Ida Courtenay?” “Yes; the amateur lady who is to play Julia.” “Oh, indeed! her name is Ida Courtenay; and she comes to the theatre in her brougham, and wears unimaginable heels to her boots. I think a Cuvier of social science might describe the species of the lady from those particulars.” Lucy only stared on hearing this remark, which was not intended for her comprehension. “At eleven!” cried a loud, coarse voice without; “quite impossible. I shall be engaged till one. You must call the “Hunchback” at half-past one.” “It will be rather inconvenient,” murmured the brilliant De Mortemar, in a respectful, nay even obsequious tone of voice. “Oh, bother your inconvenience! The piece must be rehearsed at half-past one, or not at all, as far as I am concerned. _I_ don’t want a rehearsal. It’s for your people the rehearsal is wanted. I’m sure your Helen is such an abominable stick that I expect to be cut up in my scenes with her, if I don’t take care.” “Oh!” cried Miss Alford, with a little gasp. “Who is the lady that plays Helen so badly?” asked Mr. Desmond. “It’s--it’s I who am to play Helen,” exclaimed poor Lucy. “Isn’t it shameful of her to say that? I was letter-perfect yesterday when we rehearsed--I was, indeed, Mr. Desmond. And Miss Courtenay read her part all through the piece. And now she says--oh, it’s really too bad--”