he looked round. "Such a day! Well?"

She came to the table, pushed Caroline ruthlessly to the floor, took the
dog's chair, and repeated, "Well?"

Claude's face was flushed, his short hair was untidy, and the eyes which
he fixed upon her looked excited, tired, and, she thought, something
else.

"Is anything the matter?"

"No, why should there be? Where have you been?"

"With Alston. He insisted on my keeping out of the way. Crayford I mean,
of course. Has it gone well? Did you play the whole of it; all you've
composed, I mean?"

"Yes."

"What did he say? What did he think of it?"

"It isn't easy to know exactly what that kind of man thinks."

"Was he disagreeable? Didn't you get on?"

"Oh, I suppose we did."

"What did he say, then?"

"All sorts of things."

"Go on eating. You look dreadfully tired. Tell me some of the things."

"Well, he liked some of it."

"Only some?"

"He seemed to like a good deal. But he suggested quantities of
alterations."

"Where? Which part?"

"I should have to show you."

"Drink some wine. I'm sure you need it. Give me some idea. You can
easily do that without showing me to-night."

"He says a march should be introduced. You know, in that scene--"

"I know, the soldiers, the Foreign Legion. Well, that would be easy
enough. You could do that in a day."

"Do you think one has only to sit down?"

"Two days, then; a week if you like! You have wonderful facility when
you choose. And what else? Here, I'll pour out the wine. What else?"

"Heaps of things. He wants to pull half the opera to pieces, I think."

"Oh, no, Claudie! You are exaggerating. You always do, dear old boy. And
if you do what he says, what then?"

"How d'you mean?"

"Would he take it? Would he produce it?"

"He didn't commit himself."

"Of course not! They never do. But would he? You must have gathered
something from his manner, from what he said, what he looked like."

"He seemed very much struck with the libretto. He said there were great
opportunities for new scenic effects."

"He is going to take it! He is! He is!" she cried exultantly. "I knew he
would. I always knew. Why, why do you look so grim, Claudie?"

She threw one arm round his neck and kissed him.

"Don't look like that when we are on the eve of everything we've been
working for, waiting--longing for, for months and years! Caroline!
Caroline!"

Caroline hastily indicated her presence.

"Come up! The darling, she shall