smoke; you don't. Come, you do dislike
acting? Why? you do it so well,--wonderfully. Generally speaking, people
like what they do well."

"It is not the acting itself, Grandy dear, that I don't like. When I am
in some part, I am carried away; I am not myself. I am some one else!"

"And the applause?"

"I don't feel it. I dare say I should miss it if it did not come; but
it does not seem to me as if I were applauded. If I felt that, I should
stop short, and get frightened. It is as if that somebody else into whom
I was changed was making friends with the audience; and all my feeling
is for that somebody,--just as, Grandy dear, when it is over, and we two
are alone together, all my feeling is for you,--at least (hanging her
head) it used to be; but lately, somehow, I am ashamed to think how I
have been feeling for myself more than for you. Is it--is it that I am
growing selfish? as Mr. Mayor said. Oh, no! Now we are here,--not in
those noisy towns,--not in the inns and on the highways; now here, here,
I do feel again for you,--all for you!"

"You are my little angel, you are," said Waife, tremulously.
"Selfish! you! a good joke that! Now you see, I am not what is called
Demonstrative,--a long word, Sophy, which means, that I don't show to
you always how fond I am of you; and, indeed," he added ingenuously, "I
am not al ways aware of it myself. I like acting,--I like the applause,
and the lights, and the excitement, and the illusion,--the make-belief
of the whole thing: it takes me out of memory and thought; it is a world
that has neither past, present, nor future, an interlude in time,-an
escape from space. I suppose it is the same with poets when they are
making verses. Yes, I like all this; and, when I think of it, I forget
you too much. And I never observed, Heaven forgive me! that you were
pale and drooping till it was pointed out to me. Well, take away your
arms. Let us consult! As soon as you get quite, quite well, how shall
we live? what shall we do? You are as wise as a little woman, and such
a careful, prudent housekeeper; and I'm such a harumscarum old fellow,
without a sound idea in my head. What shall we do if we give up acting
altogether?"

"Give up acting altogether, when you like it so! No, no. I will like it
too, Grandy. But--but--" she stopped short, afraid to imply blame or to
give pain.

"But what? let us make clean breasts, one to the other; tell truth, and
shame the Father of Lies."

"Tell t