y to pull off her gloves.

"Talking of the verdict," she said presently, glancing toward the still
open window, "is the date of the first full rehearsal fixed?"

"Yes. We decided on it this evening at the theater."

"When is it to be?"

"Next Friday night. There's no performance that night. We begin at six.
I daresay we shall get through about six the next morning."

"Friday! Have you--I mean, are you going to ask Mrs. Shiffney?"

During their long and intimate talk at dinner that evening Claude had
invited Mrs. Shiffney to be present at the rehearsal, and she had
accepted. Now it suddenly occurred to him that she was his enemy. Would
she still come after what had occurred just before he left her?

"I have asked her!" he almost blurted out.

"Already! When?"

"I went round to the Ritz-Carlton t-night."

"Was she in?"

"Yes. But she was--but she went out afterward, to Mrs. Inness."

"Oh! And did she accept?"

"Yes."

Charmian's eyes were fixed upon Claude. He saw by their expression that
she suspected something, or that she had divined a secret between him
and Mrs. Shiffney. She looked suddenly alert, and her lips seemed to
harden, giving her face a strained and not pleasant expression.

"How is she coming?" she asked.

"How?"

"Yes. Are you going to fetch her? Or am I to?"

"That wasn't decided. Nothing was said about that."

"She can't just walk in alone, without a card to admit her, or anything.
You know what an autocrat Mr. Crayford is."

"But he knows Mrs. Shiffney. We met him first at her house in London,
don't you remember?"

"You don't suppose he's going to let everyone he knows into a rehearsal,
do you?"

Claude got up from his chair.

"No. But--Charmian, I can't think of all these details. I can't--I
can't!"

There was a sharp edge to his voice.

"I have too much to carry in my mind just now."

"I know," she said, softening. "I didn't mean"--the alert expression,
which for an instant had vanished, returned to her face--"I only wanted
to know--"

"Please don't ask me any more! I asked Mrs. Shiffney to come to the
rehearsal. She said she would. Then we talked of other things."

"Other things! Then you stayed some time?"

"A little while. If she really wishes to be at the rehearsal--"

"But we know she wishes it!"

"Well, then, she will suggest coming with you, or she may write to
Crayford. I'm not going to do anything more about it."

His face was stern, grim.

"Now I'