"There must be some mistake," Isabelle suggested. "I will ask you to stand just where you are, until I have time to get into the elevator. That will save us both any embarrassment." "But I don't understand," he mumbled. "I do beg your pardon, I thought----" "Give me three minutes; and I rely on you not to peep into the hall," she said, with a chuckle. And was gone, leaving the actor-manager more at a loss than such events usually found him. Now whether Mr. Cartel peeped or not, the next day he recalled a previous meeting with Wally, and asked to be presented to his daughter. "Haven't we met before, Miss Bryce?" he asked, giving her a very special look. "No," she replied, with the faintest suspicion of a taunt in her tone. "I was under the impression that we had." "I'm sure I couldn't forget." "Are you enjoying yourself here?" "Not especially." "What do you enjoy, Miss Bryce?" "Excitement." "Couldn't we find you some?" "You might," with the slightest accent on the pronoun. "Let's try," he countered. * * * * * From that moment he devoted himself to the "little Bryce girl." He rode with her, walked with her, talked with her, roared with amusement over her _diablerie_, until all tongues clacked about it. Mrs. Andrews left, in a huff. "You've got to stop it, Wally," Max ordered. "Every one is talking." "How can I stop it? You never should have brought her here." "Well, I'm not going to leave because she makes a fool of herself, so you can just take a hand." About this time a group of enthusiasts decided to get up an entertainment. With fear and trembling they asked the great actor to take part. "How would you like to act a play with me, Cricket?" he asked her, in the tone of a god condescending to mortal. "It would amuse me," she replied. He laughed. "This to the great Cartel!" said he, modestly. "Do you know that the finest actresses in America esteem it a privilege to act with me?" She grinned. "There are women in this hotel who would give their eyes for the chance," he added. "I need my eyes for seeing my way about," she drawled. Well as she managed him she was greatly excited at the prospect of acting with him. She had a dreadful row with Max and Wally on the subject, but she won out, and the announcement was made that the great man would put on a Shaw playlet, assisted by the "little Bryce girl." There followed days of rehearsal and preparation, during which Mr. Cartel tried to impress his amateur leading lady, and succeeded not at all. "That's not the way to do it!" he thundered at her repeatedly. "All right. But that's the way _I_ have to do it. If I'm going to be this woman, I have to be her _my_ way, not yours." So the impudent little baggage faced him out, on his own ground; and he was forced to admit to himself that, crude as she was, she managed effects. "You might be able to act some day," he said to her on an occasion. "Give me a job, and let me try."