her."

"What was that?"

"That my opera will be produced the night before her husband's."

Susan got up.

"Well, I must go," she said. "I've been here a long time, and daresay
you both want to rest."

"Rest!" exclaimed Claude. "That's the last thing we want, isn't it,
Charmian?"

He helped Susan to put on her fur.

"There's another rehearsal to-night after the performance of _Aida_. You
see it's a race, and we mean to be in first. I wish you could have seen
Madame Sennier's face when I told her we should produce on the
twenty-eighth."

He laughed. But neither Charmian nor Susan laughed with him. As Susan
was leaving he said:

"You come from the enemy's camp, but you do wish us success, don't you?"

"I have just been telling Charmian what I wish you," answered Susan
gently, with her straight and quiet look.

"Have you?" He wheeled round to Charmian. "What was it?"

Charmian looked taken aback.

"Oh--what was it?"

"Yes?" said Claude.

"The--the very best! Wasn't it, Susan?"

"Yes. I wished you the very best."

"Capital! Too bad, you are going!"

He went with Susan to the door.

When he came back he said to Charmian:

"Susan Fleet is very quiet, the least obtrusive person I ever met. But
she's strange. I believe she sees far."

His face and manner had changed. He threw himself down in a chair and
leaned his head against the back of it.

"I'm going to relax for a minute, Charmian. It's the only way to rest.
And I shall be up most of the night."

He shut his eyes. His whole body seemed to become loose.

"She sees far, I think," he murmured, scarcely moving his sensitive
lips.

Charmian sat watching his pale forehead, his white eyelids.

And New York roared outside.

CHAPTER XXXII

The respective publicity agents of the two opera houses had been so
energetic in their efforts on behalf of their managements, that, to the
Senniers, the Heaths, and all those specially interested in the rival
enterprises, it began to seem as if the whole world hung upon the two
operas, as if nothing mattered but their success or failure. Charmian
received all the "cuttings" which dealt with the works and their
composers, with herself and Madame Sennier, from a newspaper clipping
bureau. And during these days of furious preparation she read no other
literature. Whenever she was in the hotel, and not with people, she was
poring over these articles, or tabulating and arranging them in books.
The Heath