see! Come on, Mr. Piesh, Mr. Topolski, let's have
another," cried Glogowski, pouring out the cognac.

He smiled and joked continually, led the arriving actors to the
buffet and seemed very lively, but one could see that under his
forced gayety there was a hidden anxiety and doubt regarding the
success of his play.

On the veranda a noisy little revel had begun, where Glogowski was
treating everybody, but the humors of all those present seemed to be
partially dampened by the drizzling weather. Cabinski every now and
then gazed up at the sky, took off his top hat and scratched his
head with dissatisfaction. Pepa walked about as glum as an autumn
day . . . Majkowska glared at Topolski with fiery eyes and seemed to
have a great desire to create a scene, for her lips were pale and
her eyes red, either from crying or sleeplessness. Glas also stalked
about like a poisoned man after yesterday's fiasco and failed to
utter a single one of his usual jokes. Razowiec was examining his
tongue in a mirror and lamenting to Mrs. Piesh. Even Wawrzecki was
not "in the proper situation," as he chose to describe his
indisposition.

"It is half-past twelve. . . . Come, let's begin to read the play,"
said Topolski, the stage-manager.

A table was pushed out into the center of the stage, chairs were
placed around it and Topolski, armed with a pencil, began to read.

Glogowski did not sit down, but kept walking about in big circles
and every time he passed Janina he would whisper some remark at
which she laughed quietly, while he continued to pace about, rumple
his hair, throw his hat into the air and smoke one cigarette after
another, all the time, however, listening attentively to the
reading.

Outside the rain continued to drizzle and the water dripped
monotonously down the drainpipes. The drab, dull daylight streamed
in upon the stage. Glas amused himself by throwing cigarette butts
at Dobek's nose, while Wladek gently blew at the head of the dozing
Mirowska. From the dressing-room came the buzz of a saw cutting wood
and the hammering of nails it was the stage mechanician preparing
his props for the evening performance.

"Mr. Glogowski, we shall have to cut out a little here," remarked
Topolski occasionally.

"Go ahead!" Glogowski would reply, continuing his promenade.

The whispers grew louder.

"Kaminska will you go downtown with me? I want to buy some material
for a dress."

"All right, we shall look over some autumn cap