She found, to her mortification, that in this case she had glared in vain. The editor of the _Areopagus_ did not flinch before the angry glances of this Semiramis of Lodge Road, but calmly awaited Mr. de Mortemar’s explanation. “I am my own stage-manager,” replied that gentleman, with offended majesty; “and I have yet to learn by what right Miss St. Albans considers herself ill-treated in this theatre. This is not the return which I expected from a young lady for whom my influence alone could have secured a hearing from a London audience.” “Pray do not let us have any high-flown talk of that kind, Mr. de Mortemar,” said Laurence, with some slight impatience of tone. “I am quite sure that you would not have engaged Miss St. Albans if it had not suited you to do so. I believe you engaged her for what is technically called leading business--the whole of the leading business.” “There was no written engagement. I offered to engage Miss St. Albans, and she was only too glad to accept my offer. Until this time she has played the complete range of leading characters.” “Indeed! Then, as there is no formal engagement, and as you have found a lady who wishes to supersede Miss St. Albans, I suppose there can be no objection to this young lady’s withdrawal from your company?” Lucy looked terribly alarmed by this speech. “I--I wouldn’t inconvenience Mr. de Mortemar for the world,” she faltered; but Laurence would not allow her to say more. “You must let me act for you in this matter, Miss Alford,” he said. “As I am your father’s friend, and as I am rather more experienced in theatrical matters than he is, I shall venture to take this affair into my own hands. You may consider yourself free to cast your pieces without reference to this young lady, Mr. de Mortemar; she will not again act in your theatre.” “But she must act in my theatre!” cried the infuriated tragedian. “Do you suppose you are to come here interfering with my arrangements, and taking away my actresses, in this manner? You ignore me in your paper, and then you come and insult me in my green-room. Really, this is a little too bad!” “I think some of your arrangements are a little too bad, Mr. de Mortemar. I will be answerable for any legal penalty you may be able to inflict upon Miss St. Albans, whose engagement I hold to be no engagement at all. For the rest, you have Miss Courtenay, who will, no doubt, be delighted to play a round of characters.”