"Of course she only wants to come in the hope of being able to carry a bad report to the Senniers." Claude was silent for a moment. Then he said: "That may be. But--we are in the arena." "What is it?" "You dislike Mrs. Shiffney, you distrust her, but you do think she has taste, judgment, don't you?" "Yes--some." "A great deal?" "When she isn't biased by personal feeling. But she is biased against you." Claude's eyes had become piercing. "I think," he said, "that if I were with Mrs. Shiffney at a rehearsal I should divine her real, her honest opinion, the opinion one has of a thing whether one wishes to have it or not. If _she_ were to admire the opera--" He paused. His face looked self-conscious. "Yes?" "I only mean that I think it might be the verdict in advance." "I see," she said slowly. "Yes, I see." She got up. "We simply must go to bed." "Come along then. But I feel as if I should never want to sleep again." "We must sleep. The verdict in advance--yes, I see. But Adelaide might make a mistake." "She really has a flair." "I know. Oh, Claudie, the verdict!" They were now in their bedroom. Charmian sighed and put her arms round his neck. "The verdict!" she breathed against his cheek softly. He felt moisture on his cheek. She had pressed wet eyes against it. "Charmian, what is it? Why--" "Hush! Just put your arms round me for a minute--yes, like that! Claudie, I want you to win, I want you to win. Oh, not altogether selfishly! I--I am an egoist, I suppose. I do care for my husband to be a success. But there's more than that. Yes, yes, there is!" She held him, with passion, and suddenly kissed his eyes. She was crying quite openly now, but not unhappily. [Illustration: "'CLAUDIE, I WANT YOU TO WIN, I WANT YOU TO WIN!'"--_Page 378_] "There's something in you far, far down, that I love," she whispered. "I am not always conscious of it, but I am now. It called me to you, I believe, at the very first. And I want that to win, I want that to win!" Claude's face had become set. He bent over Charmian. For a moment he was on the verge of a strange confession. But something that still had great power held him back from it. And he only said: "You have worked hard for me. If we do win it will be your victory." "And if we lose?" she whispered. "Charmian--" he kissed her. "We must try to sleep." CHAPTER XXXI