A Mummer's Wife

was therefore with bated breath that she waited for Ralph to speak. They could not hope, he said, to find a nicer lodger; the little he had seen of him made him desirous of renew

alph's wishes, and, determined to resent the impertinence

ant this actor here. One would think he was a dear friend of yours to hear you talk. Is it the ten shill

e calmly Kate watched him work himself into a passion, until he declared that he had other reasons more important than the ten shillings a week for wishing to have Mr. Lennox staying in the house. This statement caused Kate just a pang of uneasiness, and she begged for an explanation. Partly to reward her for ha

en, and say that we can let him

erintendence of Mrs. Ede. Hender was at the machine, but Kate, who had a dressing-gown on order, unrolled the blue silk and fidgeted round the table as if she had not enough room for laying out her pattern-sheets. Hender noticed these manoeuvres with some surprise, and when Kate said, 'Now, my dear children, I'm afraid you're very

e on Monday. I've just

is time it will be possible to h

ut Miss Hender's crude expression took the des

ant. 'I know he likes you; I could see it in his eye

itating to hear his feelings for her discussed; she could not forget she was a married woma

ag" is sure to be about, and even if you did manage to give her the slip, there's your husband. Lord! I hadn't thought of

, and snapping nervously with t

that I would have my husband ill so that I might go to the theatre with Mr. Lenno

swered with a toss of her head; 'if you'r

have said something sharp, but she had let Hender into a good many of her secrets, and it would be most inconvenient to

about the roses in her cheeks, she smiled curiously, and begged him to let her pass. In the workroom she was happy, for the mechanical action of sewing allowed her to follow the train of her dreams, and drew the attention of those present away from her. She had tried her novels, but now the most exciting failed to fix her thoughts. The page swam before her eyes, a confusion of white and black dots, the book would fall upon her lap in a few minutes, and she would relapse again into thinking of what Dick would say to her, and of the hours that still separated them. On Sunday, without knowing why, she insisted on attending all the services. Ralph in no way cared for this excessive devotion, and he proposed to take her for a walk in the afternoon, but she preferred to accompany Mrs. Ede to church. It loosened the tension of her thoughts to raise her voice in the hymns, and the old woman's gabble was pleasant to listen to on their way home-a sort of meaningless murmur in her ears while she was thinking of Dick

arer, nearer; her husband was snoring loudly, and, casting a glance at him, she wondered if she should have time to push the bolt to. But immediately after, Dick stumbled up the stairs into his room, and, hugging the thought that he was again under her roof, she fell to dreaming of their meeting in the morning, wondering if it would befall her to meet him on the stairs or in the shop

it was Mrs. Ede, and Kate glided to the washhandstand and put down th

f his bare arm his frizzly hair. 'I didn't expect to see so pr

nk you, sir,' Kate

confidential whisper, 'I didn't write to you about the poetry you sent me (at least, I suppose it was from you, it had the Hanle

water is there,' she said, lookin

rses? I have them here, and I brought you a li

nd looked a tower of strength as he lay tossed back on the pillows, his big arms and thick brown throat bare. A flush rose to her cheeks when he said that he had br

for breakfast, sir? Woul

st; I have to be up at our acting manager

ust going the h

g himself in a way that relieved Kate of all apprehensio

I get you br

es'. But tell me, is there anyone listening?' he said, lowering his voice again.

her, Kate made a sign in the negative,

r this thought, but could not rid herself of it; a bitter sense of voluptuousness burnt at the bottom of her heart, and she railed against life sullenly. She had missed him on Sunday; Monday had ended as abruptly as an empty nut, and Hender's questions vexed and wearied her; she despaired of being able to go to the theatre. Nothing seemed to be going right. Even the little gold earrings which Dick took out of a velvet case and wanted to put into her ears only added a bitterer drop to her cup. All she could do was to hide them away where no one could find them. It tortured her to have to tell him that she could not wear them, and the kiss that he would ask for, and

ar chair in which Ralph always sat when he was affected with his asthma. It had a rail on which he could place his feet, and thus lift one knee almost on to a level with his chest; and in this position, his head on his hand, he would remain for hours groaning and wheezing. Dick watched him with an expression of genuine sorrow on his big face; and it was so clear that he regretted what he had done that for a moment even Mrs. Ede's heart softened towards him. But the thaw was only momentary; she froze again into sto

alluding to some work which had to be finished, sh

news I've heard in thi

er s

o maintain. The uncertainty of her husband's temper terrified her. It was liable at any moment to change, and on the night in question he might order her not to leave the house. If so, she asked herself if she would have the courage to disobey him. The answer slipped from her: it was impossible for her to fix her attention on anything;

was dry and clear, and over an embrasure of the hills beyond Stoke the sun was setting in a red and yellow mist. The streets were full of people; and where Piccadilly opens into the market-place, groups and couples of factory girls were eag

der said. 'To be cooped up in the

enjoy myself all the m

e. It bored her to be reminded of the humdrum life she led, and she had come to feel ashamed that she

aking in jauntily on Kate's reflec

n see

sked Hender, who was not aware of wh

ll we have to wait? Mr. Lennox s

or here comes Wentworth with

a snake into a hole, the line began to disappear. Hender explained that this was the way to the pit, and what Kate took for a cellar was the stage entrance. A young man with a big nose, whom she recognized as Mr. Montgomery, stared at them as he passed; then came two ladies-Mi

alf an hour yet,' he said, as they ascended a high flight of s

raid of bei

'll have a pleasant evening; it would be qui

you going

ls me Dick, and I don't know anyone who

oing to act, Di-?

rst act. I just do that to save the salary,

she scarcely knew she was in a theatre, and had as yet perceived neither the star-light nor the drop-curtain. Dick spoke to her of herself and of himself, but he said nothing that recalled any of the realities of

men with whom she was chaffing, and

, you're wa

y which said as distinctly as words, 'Well, my young woman, you do go it when you're out on the loose.' But she refrained from putting her

ht was broken by the yellow-painted backs of the chairs, and where a series of mirrors, framed i

they moved about like melancholy shades; or, when sit

gas-fitting hanging out of the shadows of the roof struggled in the gloom, leaving the outlines of the Muses above the proscenium as undefinable as the silhouettes of the shopkeepers in the pit. Over against the shopkeepers was the drop-curtain, the centre of which contained a romantic picture intended to prepare the spectators for the play

awakened by her love for the devil-may-care revolutionary poet seduced Kate like a sensual dream; and in all she saw and felt there was a mingled sense of nearness and remoteness, an extraordinary concentration, and an absence of her own proper individuality. Never had she heard such music. How suave it was compared with the austere and regular rhythm of the hymns she sang in church! The gay tripping measure of the market-woman's song filled her with visions and laughter. There was an accent of insincerity in the seren

ked to keep quiet, but Kate did not much mind. The thunder of applause which rose from a pit filled with noisy factory boys and girls was accepted in good faith, and it floated through her mind, elevating and exciting her emotions as the roar of the breakers on the shore does the dreams of a dreamer. But the star she was expecting had not yet appeared. She had seen Miss Leslie, Miss Beaumont, Joe Mortimer, and Frank Bret, and numberless other people, who had appeared in all sorts of dresses and had sung all kinds of enchanting songs, but Dick was nowhere to be found. She had searched vainly for him in the maze of colour that was being flashed before her eyes. Would he appear as a king, a monk, a shepherd, or would he wear a cocked hat? She did not know, and was too b

see, 'tis he who does the policeman? A French policeman!

ruins. She felt she could no longer take an interest in anything. The rest of the act was torture to her

the act dragged the bride away from her intended. And she could not understand why he should have chosen, if he loved her, to dress himself in such very unbecoming clothes. She thought she would

u like the

laying his hand affectionately on hers, he said that he felt that something had happened. Hender, who had seen Dick take Kate's hand, thought that this was a moment for her to escape, but Kate begged o

the while what could have induced him to play the part of that ugly policeman. 'I'm sure you didn't like the piece,' he cont

t he was terribly sincere, and fearing to pain him, she

have liked anything more-

u know, but at the same time it requires to be played. If t

e desire to speak her mind triumphing over her shyness, 'But why d

me to take it than have another salary on the list. In the

ed, her face flushing at the idea

ss Beaumont, who plays Lange, and it's all over. Have you ever heard the waltz?' Kate never had; so, drawing her close to him, he sang the soft flowing melody in her ear. In her nervousness sh

ge ready for the second act. As he hurried away, Hender appeared. She had been round to the 'pub.' to have a dr

and are as jealou

Mr. Lennox and me,' replied Kate angrily. 'I suppose the

up her nose at what she considered to

on evaporated, and she called Kate's at

the centre and side circles pretty well full, it soon runs up. Th

rtners, and the stage seemed transformed into a wonderful garden of colour swinging to the music of a fountain that, under the inspiration of the moonlight, broke from its monotonous chant into rhythmical variations. Dick, like a great tulip in his red uniform, turned in the middle, and Miss Beaumont, in her long yellow dress, sprawled upon him. Her dress was open at both sides, and each time she passed in front, Kate, filled with disgust, strove not to see the thick pink legs, which were visible to the knees. Miss Leslie in her bride's dress bloomed a lily white, as she danced with a man whose red calves and thighs seemed prolonged into his very chest. La Rivodière cast despairing glances at Lange, poor Pomponet strove to get to his bride, and all the blonde wigs and black collars of the conspirators were mixed amid the strange poke bonnets of the ladies, and the long swallow-tailed coats, reaching almost to the ground, flapped in and out of the legs of the female soldiers. Kate smiled feebly and drank in the music of the waltz. It was played over again; like a caged canary's song it haunted Clairette's orange-blossoms; like the voluptuous thrill of a nightingale singing in a rose-garden it flowed about Lange's heavy draperies and glistening bosom; like the varied chant of the

nd over-tempted; all her blood seemed to be in her head and hea

pronounced she smiled, but her smile was one of pain, and she could not rouse herself from a sort of sad ecstasy. Gay as the tunes were, there wa

d for a long while staring at a large golden m

f that hot stuffy theatre!' said

? I could listen to

so glad you liked it. I tol

think so. I shal

h her face raised towards her lover's; then, gaining courage from his look o

nd a devilish good ear too. 'Pon my soul,

ou mustn't l

ghing. Sing it again

d the reverberating yards and brickways Kate's voice sounded as penetrating and direct as a flute. The exquisite acc

e that wants looking to;' and he talked to her of the different tunes, listening to what she had to say, and encouraging her to recall the music she had hear

nd we'll go through it with all the effects-

ee or four male voices, the owners of which, judging by t

and all that lot. I wouldn't be

assage we can get h

o you go, dear; I'll remain and tell them it was a lady sing

was left to explain whatever he pleased concerning the

gether in her ears, and in her insomnia she continued to take singing lessons from Dick. She was certain that he loved her, and the enchantment of her belief murmured in her ears all night long; and when she met Hender next morning, the desir

ents became still more intolerable. All sorts of ideas and hallucinations, magnified and distorted, filled her brain, rendered astonishingly clear by the effects of insomnia. She saw over again the murders she had read of in her novels, and her imagination supplied details the author had not dreamed

s she heard him say, 'There's Mr. Lennox at the doo

?' she answered, starting

't want me to catch my d

eplied

went downstairs. It was quite dark, and she had to feel her way along the passage. But at last she found an

, trying to see who the c

t my la

t matter,'

get home all day to see you, but couldn't

at I can't d

; don't be cross;

her in his arms. 'You were in

you must l

never to let

e leaving

you wish m

r heart beating, she went upstairs. On the first landing he stopped her, and laying hi

w I woul

id, 'We mustn't stop here talking. Mrs. Ede sleeps, you know,

om,' said Dick, taking her han

can

ter than anyone

y should yo

d, and frightened, but at the same time delighted by

, asking himself what his wife could be doing all that time, thinking that perhaps it was not Lennox after all, but some rambling vagrant who had knocked at the door, and that he had better go down and

me.' She passed away from him and entered her hu

ox,' she

ph murmured, and