through her mind. What had
Claude said to evoke such words? In the darkness, Charmian, with a
strong and excited imagination, conceived Claude faithless to her. She
did more. She conceived of triumph and faithlessness coming together
into her life, of Claude as a famous man and another woman's lover.
"Would you rather he remained obscure and entirely yours?" a voice
seemed to say within her. She did not debate this question, but again
turned, made her way to Mrs. Shiffney's box, which she located rightly
this time, pushed the door and abruptly went into it.

"Hulloh!" said a powerful and rather surprised voice.

In the semi-obscurity Charmian saw a very big man, whom she had never
seen before, getting up from a chair.

"I beg your pardon," she exclaimed, startled. "I didn't know--"

"Charmian! Is it you?"

Adelaide Shiffney's voice came from beyond the big man.

"Adelaide! You've come to our rehearsal!"

"Yes. Let me introduce Mr. Jonson Ramer to you. This is Mrs. Heath,
Jonson, the genius's good angel. Sit down with us for a minute,
Charmian."

Adelaide Shiffney's deep voice was almost suspiciously cordial. But
Charmian's sense of relief was so great that she accepted the
invitation, and sat down feeling strangely happy.

But almost instantly with the laying to rest of one anxiety came the
birth of another.

"Well, what do you think of the opera?" she asked, trying to speak
carelessly.

Jonson Ramer leaned toward her. He thought she looked pretty, and he
liked pretty women even more than most men do.

"Very original!" he said. "Opens powerfully. But I don't think we can
judge of it yet. It's going remarkably well."

"Wonderfully!" said Mrs. Shiffney.

Charmian turned quickly toward her. It was Adelaide's verdict that she
wanted, not Jonson Ramer's.

"Enid Mardon's perfect," continued Mrs. Shiffney. "She will make a
sensation. And the _mise-en-scene_ is really exquisite, not overloaded.
Crayford has evidently learnt something from Berlin."

"How malicious Adelaide is!" thought Charmian. "She won't speak of the
music simply because she knows I only care about that."

She talked for a little while, sufficiently mistress of herself to charm
Jonson Ramer. Then she got up.

"I must run away. I have so many people to see and encourage."

Her gay voice indicated that she needed no encouragement, that she was
quite sure of success.

"We shall see you at the end?" said Mrs. Shiffney.

"But will you s