"My dear," she said. "Does it matter so much which it is?"

"Matter! Of course it does. Everything hangs upon it--for us, I mean, of
course. We have given up everything for the opera, altered our lives. It
is to be the beginning of everything for us."

Susan looked steadily at Charmian with her ugly, beautiful eyes.

"Perhaps it might be that in either case," she said. "Dear Charmian, I
think preaching is rather odious. I hope I don't often step into the
pulpit. But we've talked of many things, of things I care for and
believe in. May I tell you something I think with the whole of my mind,
and even more than that as it seems to me?"

"Yes. Yes, Susan!"

"I think the success or failure only matters really as it affects
character, and the relation existing between your soul and your
husband's. The rest scarcely counts, I think. And so, if I were to pray
about such a thing as this opera, pray with the impulse of a friend who
really does care for you, I should pray that your two souls might have
what they need, what they must be asking for, whether that is a great
success, or a great failure."

The door opened and Claude came in on the two women.

"Did I hear the word failure?" he said, smiling, as he went up to Susan
and took her hand. "Charmian, I wonder you allow it to be spoken in our
sitting-room."

"I--I didn't--we weren't," she almost stammered. But quickly recovering
herself, she said:

"Susan has come with a message from Adelaide Shiffney."

"You mean about being let in at a rehearsal?"

"Yes," said Susan.

"I've just been with Mrs. Shiffney. She called at the theater after you
had gone, Charmian. I drove to the Ritz with her and went in."

Charmian looked narrowly at her husband.

"Then of course she spoke about the rehearsal?"

"Yes. Madame Sennier dropped in upon us. What do you think of that?"

Charmian thought that his face and manner were strangely hard.

"Madame Sennier! And did you stay, did you--"

"Of course. I thanked her for giving the opera such a lift with her
slanders about the libretto. I tackled her. It was the greatest fun. I
only wish Crayford had been there to hear me."

"How did she take it?" asked Charmian, glancing at Susan, and feeling
uncomfortable.

"She was furious, I think. I hope so. I meant her to be. But she didn't
say much, except that the papers were full of lies, and nobody believed
them except fools. When she was going I gave her a piece of news to
comfort