“They give ye five shillings a turn, and if yer good for anythink ye
may do six turns of a Sunday night, not ter speak of special nights, and
friendly leads and sech.”
When Glory got out at the Temple Aggie's head was resting on Charlie's
shoulder, and her little gloved fingers were lightly clasped in his
hand.
On the second night Glory had conquered a good deal of her pride. The
grace of her humour was saving her. It was almost as if somebody else
was doing servant's duty and she was looking on and laughing. After all
it was very funny that she should be there, and what delicious thoughts
it would bring later! Even Nell Gwynne sold oranges in the pit at first,
and then some day when she had risen above all this----
It must have been a great night of some sort. She had noticed red baize
and an awning outside, and the front of one of the boxes was laden with
flowers. When its occupants entered, the orchestra played the national
anthem and the audience rose to their feet. It was the Prince with the
Princess and their daughters. The audience was only less distinguished,
and something far off and elusive moved in her memory when a lady handed
her a check and said in a sweet voice:
“A gentleman will come for this seat.”
Glory's station was in the stalls, and she did not go out when the
lights went down and the curtain rose. The play was a modern one--the
story of a country girl who returned home after a life of bitterness and
shame.
It moved her and thrilled her, and stirred the smouldering fires of her
ambition. She was sorry for the actress who played the part--the poor
thing did not understand--and she would have given worlds to pour her
own voice through the girl's mouth. Then she was conscious that she
was making a noise with her hands, and looking down at them she saw the
crumpled programmes and her white cuffs, and remembered where she was,
and what, and she murmured, “O God, do not punish me for these vain
thoughts!”
All at once a light shot across her face as she stood in the darkness.
The door of the corridor had been opened, and a gentleman was coming in.
He stood a moment beside her with his eyes on the stage and said in a
whisper:
“Did a lady leave a seat?”
It was Drake! She felt as if she would suffocate, but answered in a
strained voice:
“Yes, that one. Programme, please.”
He took the programme without looking at her, put his fingers into his
waistcoat pocket, and slid something into her hand. It was sixpence.
She could have screamed. The humiliation was too abject. Hurrying out,
she threw down her papers, put on her cloak and hat and fled.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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