and gave her the idea of how she was to play it.
She hadn't had time to put on her sea-shell tint, but the hollows in
her cheeks filled up with pink excitement as I talked. When I marched
in with her the men gave her one look, grinned, and heaved gusty
sighs of relief. We rehearsed all day and half the night. We haven't
told the office a word about the defection of the two vaude-villains.
The printing is out, of course, and the old names will stand. She is
stiff with fright and bodily unfit for the strain, but she's giving
everything she's got, and she's delicious in quality for the part.

Yours in weary bliss,

J.

_Monday._ 3.15 A.M.

Sarah, I feel like Guido Reni (if it was Guido Reni) when he stabbed
his servant to get the actual agony for the "Ecce Homo!" My girl
fainted away in the middle of her big speech an hour ago. I have
tucked her up in bed after a rub and a cup of hot milk and she is to
sleep until noon. BROTHER'S brother tried pitifully, but he didn't
get through a single speech without prompting. I'm terrified! Suppose
they muddle it utterly, what will the Powers say to me--after not
telling them of the change in cast? I wish I hadn't asked Michael
Daragh to come to the matinee. I _must_ stop. I know I won't sleep a
wink, but I'll put out the light and lie down and shut my eyes.

JANE.

_Monday Midnight._

Oh, Sally dearest, I don't know where to begin! I'll make myself
start with the morning. I slipped out before my starveling was awake,
leaving a cheering note for her. I took the bus up to Grant's Tomb
and walked back along the river to Seventy-second Street. It was the
most marvelous blue-and-gold morning; I speeded myself to a glow on
shady paths or sat steeping for a moment in the sun. I held happy
converse with democratic dogs and reserved and haughty babies and
dawdled, but even so I found myself with a panicky margin of time on
my hands. Then I bethought myself of my never-failing remedy for
troublesome thoughts and I went joyously forth like a he-goat on the
mountains and bought a ruinous pair of proud shoes and put them on. I
knew the gloating over them would leave me small room for
forebodings. You know how I've always been. You used to call me
"Goody Two-Shoes." These are cunningly contrived to make my No. 4,
triple A, look like a 2