He must wait.

To go back to Hamar. He had seen Gladys act; he had become more
infatuated with her than ever; and his passion was stimulated by the
knowledge that she was universally admired, and that half the men in
London were dying to be introduced to her.

"Money will do anything," one of Hamar's friends--they were all
Jews--remarked to him. "Offer the manager of the Imperial a hundred
pounds and he'll do anything you like with regard to the girl. Every
manager can be bought and every actress, too."

The suggestion was a welcome one, and Hamar acted on it. But whether
or not the exception proves the rule, he was immeasurably disconcerted
to find that with regard to money and managers, his friend had
deceived him. Far from being pleased at the offer of a bribe, the
manager of the Imperial, an old Harrovian, raised his foot, and Hamar,
who invariably paled at the prospect of violence, hurriedly withdrew.

On the eve of the initiation into Stage Three, the trio were very much
perturbed.

"I hope to goodness nothing will appear to me," Kelson said. "My heart
isn't strong enough to stand the shock of seeing striped figures. They
should come to you, Curtis--a few jumps wouldn't do you any
harm--you're fat enough."

Agreeing each to sleep with a light in his room, they separated, and
at about two o'clock Curtis, who had been suffering of late from his
liver--the effect, so the doctor told him, of living a little too
well--and could not sleep, heard a knock at his door. To his
astonishment it was Kelson--Kelson, in his pyjamas.

"Hulloa!" Curtis exclaimed. "What on earth brings you here, and
however did you come?"

"The usual way!" Kelson said, in what struck Curtis as rather unusual
tones. "I flew here to tell you that we are now in stage three. Give
me paper and ink. I want to write down the instructions I have
received."

Curtis conducted him into his sitting-room, switched on the lights
and, giving him what he wanted, poured out a couple of tumblers of
soda-and-milk.

"This will lower my temperature," he said to himself. "I shall know if
I'm dreaming."

He then sat by Kelson's side and observed what he wrote.

"The properties of walking on the water, and of breathing under the
water are conferred on you during the forthcoming stage. You must
refrain from red flesh and alcohol, but may eat poultry, fish, fruit,
and vegetables in abundance."

"The devil I may!" Curtis said, in a fury. "How very kind! I