It appeared that Mr. Bennett Godsby had happened to have his attention
called to the book; had read it; and had dug out of it that Idea which
had for others been so carefully concealed. With a feeling of pity for
the probable ignorance of Mr. James Larrance in regard to such matters,
Mr. Bennett Godsby begged to inform that gentleman that the name of
Bennett Godsby was known on two sides of the Atlantic, as an actor who
had played many parts, and who, as it happened, was at that time in want
of a play. If any dramatic version of the story had been done, Mr.
Bennett Godsby would be glad to see it; in any case, it might be well if
he could see Mr. Larrance. The Idea appeared to be a strong one, and
something ought to be made of it. So Jimmy, greatly elated, went off to
the theatre at a time that had been suggested by the great man himself.
Inquiring at the stage door, he was kept waiting for a time, in company
with a man who was smoking a pipe--a gas stove--and a very old dog.
While he waited, a harsh little swing-door kept banging backwards and
forwards on its hinges, to admit or to let out various men and women,
who all seemed to be in a great hurry, and who all seemed also to know
each other remarkably well. Presently Jimmy was requested by the man
(who laid down his pipe at a summons from someone within) to step with
him; and stepping accordingly, found himself, after traversing various
long passages and flights of stone steps, stumbling among the
holland-covered stalls of the theatre, in semi-darkness, on his way to
find Mr. Bennett Godsby, who was seated, muffled in an overcoat, in the
second row.
On the dimly-lighted stage some sort of rehearsal was going forward,
conducted for the most part by a pale and anxious young man, who was
darting hither and thither among a crowd of people, endeavouring to get
them into some semblance of order. Just as Jimmy reached Mr. Bennett
Godsby's side, and stood quaking, the great man stood up to roar out
some instructions to the pale and anxious young man, while the latter
craned forward over the footlights, at the imminent risk of his neck, to
listen.
"Very good, sir," exclaimed the young man, with several emphatic nods;
and plunged again among the crowd. Mr. Godsby, bending his head the
better to read Jimmy's card, held out a hand to him, and drew him down
beside him. This being Jimmy's first experience of a theatre in its
morning wrappers, he looked up curiously at the shrouded boxes and
circles, and then at the stage; came back from that inspection, to find
that Mr. Godsby was speaking to him in a strong deep voice that could be
heard easily even above the racket on the stage.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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