boards, and an official guided him through
various passages back to the floor of the house. Nobody seemed to
observe him as he sat down beside Geraldine.

'Of course it was all part of the show, that business,' he heard a man
remark loudly some distance behind him.

He much enjoyed explaining the whole thing to Geraldine. Now that it was
over, he felt rather proud, rather triumphant. He did not know that he
was very excited, but he observed that Geraldine was excited.

'You needn't think you are going to escape from telling me all about
your new book, because you aren't,' said Geraldine prettily.

They were supping at a restaurant of the discreet sort, divided into
many compartments, and situated, with a charming symbolism, at the back
of St. George's, Hanover Square. Geraldine had chosen it. They did not
need food, but they needed their own unadulterated society.

'I'm only too pleased to tell you,' Henry replied. 'You're about the
only person that I would tell. It's like this. You must imagine a youth
growing up to manhood, and wanting to be a great artist. I don't mean a
painter. I mean a--an actor. Yes, a very great actor. Shakspere's
tragedies, you know, and all that.'

She nodded earnestly.

'What's his name?' she inquired.

Henry gazed at her. 'His name's Gerald,' he said, and she flushed.
'Well, at sixteen this youth is considerably over six feet in height,
and still growing. At eighteen his figure has begun to excite remark in
the streets. At nineteen he has a severe attack of scarlet fever, and
while ill he grows still more, in bed, like people do, you know. And at
twenty he is six feet eight inches high.'

'A giant, in fact.'

'Just so. But he doesn't want to be a giant He wants to be an actor, a
great actor. Nobody will look at him, except to stare. The idea of his
going on the stage is laughed at. He scarcely dare walk out in the
streets because children follow him. But he _is_ a great actor, all the
same, in spirit. He's got the artistic temperament, and he can't be a
clerk. He can only be one thing, and that one thing is made impossible
by his height. He falls in love with a girl. She rather likes him, but
naturally the idea of marrying a giant doesn't appeal to her. So that's
off, too. And he's got no resources, and he's gradually starving in a
garret. See the tragedy?'

She nodded, reflective, sympathetically silent.

Henry continued: 'Well, he's starving. He doesn't know what to do. He