any passion for the
Charmian-creature. Claude's music broke in upon her questionings.

Mrs. Shiffney had a retentive as well as a swift mind, and she
remembered every detail of Gillier's powerful, almost brutal libretto.
In the reading it had transported her into a wild life, in a land where
there is still romance, still strangeness--a land upon which
civilization has not yet fastened its padded claw. And she had imagined
the impression which this glimpse of an ardent and bold life might
produce upon highly civilized people, like herself, if it were helped by
powerful music.

Now she listened, waited, remembering her visits to Mullion House, the
night in the cafe by the city wall when Said Hitani and his Arabs
played, the hour of sun in the pine wood above the great ravine, other
hours in New York. There was something in Heath that she had wanted,
that she wanted still, though part of her sneered at him, laughed at
him, had a worldly contempt for him, though another part of her almost
hated him. She desired a fiasco for him. Nevertheless the art feeling
within her, and the greedy emotional side of her, demanded the success
of his effort just now, because she was listening, because she hated to
be bored, because the libretto was fine. The artistic side of her nature
was in strong conflict with the capricious and sensual side that
evening. But she looked--for Jonson Ramer--coolly self-possessed and
discriminating as she sat very still in the shadow.

"That's a fine voice!" murmured Ramer presently.

Alston Lake was singing.

"Yes. I've heard him in London. But he seems to have come on
wonderfully."

"It's an operatic voice."

When Alston Lake went off the stage Ramer remarked:

"That's a fellow to watch."

"Crayford's very clever at discovering singers."

"Almost too clever for the Metropolitan, eh?"

"Enid Mardon looks wonderful."

Silence fell upon them again.

The dressmaker had got up from her seat and slipped away into the
darkness, after examining Enid Mardon's costume for two or three minutes
through a small but powerful opera-glass. Charmian was now quite alone.

While the massive woman was with her Charmian had been unconscious of
any agitating, or disturbing influence in her neighborhood. The
dressmaker had probably a strong personality. Very soon after she had
gone Charmian began to feel curiously uneasy, despite her intense
interest in the music, and in all that was happening on the stage. S