“What a scoundrel he is!” Dick exclaimed. “But, of course, I have no fear of his succeeding. You’d never throw me down that way.” Marion Gray caught her breath suddenly. Her eyes were full of tears, and she was evidently in a very nervous condition. “I’m glad you realize that much,” she faltered. “I couldn’t do such a thing as that, though sometimes it’s dreadfully hard——” She broke off abruptly, and Merriwell looked at her questioningly. “Hard?” he repeated. Her face was turned away from him. “Yes—hard to have you—make love—to me—on the stage,” she whispered chokingly. Dick drew a quick breath. Great heavens! The girl was madly in love with Demarest, and she was as much as telling him so. There was no mistaking the tones of her voice. He had not thought of this complication, and for a moment he did not know what to do or say. He had no idea what the actor’s general attitude was toward this extremely attractive young woman, and, even if he had, he could never bring himself to behave in a sentimental manner toward the girl who was mistaking him for another man. “There, my dear,” he ventured presently, in Demarest’s whimsical tones, “you’re worried sick over this fellow Bryton. There’s nothing to be afraid of. He can’t stop the performance now. Come, it’s time we started the ball moving. The stage must be waiting for us.” Drawing her arm gently through his, he led her out of the dressing room, and a moment later they were upon the stage, which was thronged with the members of the company, who greeted him enthusiastically, and in tones of distinct relief. They, too, had been worried, and with good reason. Capable actors as they were, they well knew that if Demarest’s play failed to make a hit, many of them would be in a pretty bad way for a job. Unlike Marion Gray, they were far from being indespensable to the trust. It was a trying moment for Dick. He did not even know one name from another, though he had thoroughly memorized the cast, and as soon as the rehearsal commenced, he would find out their various identities from the parts they took. Consequently, he plunged at once into the business at hand. “Howdy, everybody,” he began cheerily. “Beastly sorry to have kept you all on the fence this way, but it couldn’t be helped. We’ll have to make up for lost time by hustling things along. Let’s get busy at once. Clear the stage for the first act.” Once the plunge was taken, things came easier. The first act went through with a rush. Dick made few slips, and covered them so skillfully that no one noticed them. The cast was letter-perfect in their parts, and had rehearsed so often that they had the business at their finger ends.