emed public! You are the sun, you are beauty, you are
omnipotence, you are wisdom, you are the highest judge! Yours are
these children of Melpomene and for you do they live, play, and
sing! Tell me, oh mighty lady, why are you not kind to us? I entreat
you, oh enlightened one, give us each day a full theater!"

"My dear! Have a little money when you come to Warsaw, have a large
repertoire, a select company, beautiful choruses and give those
plays which I like and your treasury will be bursting with gold."

"Esteemed public!" cried Glas, with a comical pathos, kissing
Kotlicki's beard.

"Speak!" said Kotlicki.

"Esteemed female! Give me some money and then have your head shaved,
a yellow jacket put on you and green paper pasted about you and we
will see that you are sent where you belong."

"I can't promise you money, but I assure you, you'll get . . .
delirium tremens, my son . . ." answered Kotlicki!

"Topolski, it's your turn!"

"Give me a rest! I have enough of your puppet shows."

Cabinska also did not wish to take part in the amusement, but Mimi
bowed comically and stroked Kotlicki's face.

"My dear! my precious public!" she entreated in caressing tones.
"Keep Wladek from continually falling in love with some new charmer
and . . . see, I could make use of a bracelet, then a green suit for
the fall, some furs for the winter and . . . see that the director
pays me my salary."

"You will get what you wish, for you desired it sincerely, and here
is the address."

He handed her his visiting card.

"Fine! Bravo!" cried the company.

"Miss Majkowska may now approach, for I promise her a great deal in
advance," announced Kotlicki.

"You are an old deceiver, dear public! You promise continually, but
you never give me what you promise!" said Mela.

"I will give you . . . in a year from now a debut at the Warsaw
Theater and surely engage you."

Majkowska shrugged her shoulders indifferently and sat down.

"Miss Orlowska!"

Janina arose; she felt a trifle dizzy but at the same time she was
so jolly and the game appeared so comical to her, that she
approached Kotlicki and called out in an entreating tone: "I desire
only one thing: to be able to play. I ask only to be given roles."

"We shall speak about that with the director and you will get them."

"Let us quit that, for it is getting wearisome, Kotlicki! Come over
here, we are starting the second round of drinks."

They began to drink in earnest.