A Mummer's Wife

the stage

ance the real stage-door is used as a pi

to do something for your amusement,' had been bestowed on his pals. The speaker, a rough man with a beard and a fez cap, became

that she was being laughed at, and she said instantly,

unless yer on in the piece I

is 'pal,' touched his cap, and said with the politeness of one who had been tipped, 'This way, marm. Mr. Lennox is on the stage, but if you'll wait a minute I'll tell 'im yer 'ere. Take

pping on her way to read Mr.

ing down to the station ter-morrow morning. But if you will remain he

ered that she had scarcely spoken to him since last night. He had been obliged to go out in the morning before b

; a pair of lattice-windows, a bundle of rapiers, a cradle and a breastplate, formed a group in the centre; a broken trombone lay at her feet. The odour of size that the scenery exhaled reminded her of Ralph's room; and she wondered if the swords were real, what different uses the tinsel paper might be put to; until she would awake from her dream, asking herself bitterly why he did not come down to see her. In the pause th

egun, marm; Mr. Lennox will

ng happene

ore they had time to exchange many words, the trampling and singing overhead sudden

and a moment after a man attired in knee-breeches, with a huge cravat wound several times round his

ay, dear?' said Dick, pu

towar

ks, and the deep black lines drawn about his eyes, that she could not conceal

A good makeup, isn't it? I t

sound of his voice soothed he

ar, before we go up

aughing at her own foolishness, said, 'Wa

where gaslights were burning blankly on the whitewashed walls. A crowd of loud-voiced, perspiring girls in short fancy petticoats and with bare necks and arms, pushed their way towards t

re's a dear; this beer plays

replied, 'but into your bosom. Stop a second, and I'll gi

and La Rivodière were en

nt to do any clowning you'd better fill your wig wi

tion from a circle of supers, who were waiting

ine is the legitimate. Go and play Don John agai

cept one to quit from your landlady, poor woman!' re

aughed, and poor Dubois would have been u

go and make my change now? I don't come on till the end of the

t terrible quarrel that so providentially had passed off wit

e actors-what will happen?

g behind you with his wig when you're speaking, but one m

t know where to stand. The scene-shifters had come to carry away the scenes that were piled up in her corner, and one of the huge slips had nearly fallen on her. A troop of girls in single coloured gowns and poke bonnets had sto

here's a man in front who has a quid in his pocket. Now at Liverpool there are lots of nice men. You should have seen the

d or what they thought of her? She had come to look after her lover; that was her business, and that only. He was going away to-morrow, and they had arranged nothing! She did not know whether he was going to remain, or if he expected her to follow him. She hated the people around her; she hat

ood in the wings or ran to the ends of dist

the noise in front of the curtain was

ts. He caught hold of two or three girls, changed their places, peepe

rtheless, it was difficult not to listen to her friend's explanations as to what was passing on the stage, and in one of these unguarded moments Dick disappeared. It was heart-breaking, but she could do nothing but wait until he came back. Like an iron, the idea that she was about to lose her lover forced itself deeper into her heart. The fate of her life was hanging in the balance, and the few words that were to decide

between the wings and the whitewashed wall. A tall, fat girl stood close by; her hand was on her sword, which she slapped slowly against her thighs. The odour of hair, cheap scent, necks, bosoms and arms was overpowering, and to Kate's sense of modesty there was something revolting in this loud display o

' entrance,' shou

ady?' cried Dick, as he put h

em possible that her fate was to be left behind, stitching beside Hender and the two little girls, Annie and Lizzie; stitching bodice after bodice, skirt after skirt, till the end of her days, remembering always something that had come into her life suddenly and had gone out of it suddenly. 'It cannot be,' she cried out to herself-'it cannot be!' And she remembered that he had said that her

; up it went again. This time only the principals came on, and while they were bowing and smiling to the audience a great herd of

unable to endure the coarse jeering faces, which the strange costumes seemed to accentuate, she too

, dear?' he said,

een waiting here among those horrid girls nearly an h

on in the last act. They couldn

to-morrow, and I shall never see you again. It's

re; everybody's after me. I'll take off these things and we'll go for a walk

ght courage to Kate, and she strove to calm herself, bu

no one will disturb you, and

and five minutes after they wer

t out, dear? Di

th him. I said I had some sewing to do…. Oh, Dick, I cannot bear to

rfully. 'Now I wonder if your husband w

we relied upon what we sell.' And stopping from time to time as their talk grew more earnest, they strolled

if I were you,' sai

up from behind and seizing two of the girls by the

k into the roadway. 'We cannot talk here,' Di

emember, Dick, where you met me the

e kiss you; just like those boys and girls. You were more determined than those girls wer

it. Here's Market Street,' and they walked towards the square of sky enframed in the end of the street, talking of

ed, and they walked about the

me that you'll take me away from Hanley. I could

the Divorce Court in his mind; 'but you know that will mean giving up everythi

don't love me enoug

oman as I do you. The train call is for ten o'clock. We must

going away without hope of ever being able to return, she was going into an unknown region to roam she did not know whither-adrift, and as helpless

of me. What shall I do? Never, n

nd you accused me just now of not loving you enough t

thing in the world! But to give up everything,

lked to her about boating and picnicking, becoming all the while more convinced of her pretty face, and his memory of her pretty voice was active in him when he t

he said; 'I've ne

re; the valley between us and the hills filled with mi

repeated. 'Have yo

several years. I may take the company out

you take m

ust come away to-morrow mo

valley have always seemed to me very wonderful; ever since I was

d her, and they relap

to existence high amid the hills, so high that it must have been on the very lowest verge. It seemed to Kate like a hearth of pleasure and comfort awaiting her in some distant country, and all her fancies were centred in this distant light, till another light breaking suddenly higher up in the hills attracted her, and she deemed that it would be in or about this

Oh yes, Dick, I'll go with you. Why shouldn't I? You're everything to me! I never knew what happiness was till I saw you; I've never had any amusement, I'v

ssed her fervidly, though somewhat with the air of one who deems further explanation unnecessary. B

feel miserable when they didn't marry in the end and live happily. But then those people were good and pure, and were commanded to love each other, whereas I'm sinful, and shall be punished for my sin. I don't know how that will be; perhaps you'll

r as he could see, there the matter ended. Besides, it was getting very late; the third act must be nearly over now, and he had a lot of business to get t

e shall be far away from here to-morrow, an

ve me? If I were only

sk you to go away with me? If I didn'

w in the books there's always a tenor who comes and sings under the window in the moonlight, and sends the lady he loves roses. You never sent me any roses, but then there are no roses in Hanley. But you were so kind and nice, and spoke so differently, and when I looked at your blue eyes I couldn't help feeling I loved you. I really think I knew-at least, I couldn't talk to you qui

ck to the theatre. You've no idea of the business I've to get through to-night,

artled and frightened her, and bursting again

o do! Oh, what will become of me? But do you love me?

for answer. 'We must not sta

go home, Dick-

with me, dea

e repeated and allow

and interwoven with other lines; and through the tears that blinded her ey