The carriage drew up at the theatre and he handed her out -a little awkwardly perhaps,but without absolute clumsiness.They found all the rest of the party already in their seats and the curtain about to go up.They took the two end stalls,Trent on the outside.One chair only,next to him,remained unoccupied.
"You people haven't hurried,"Lady Tresham remarked,leaning forward.
"We are in time at any rate,"Ernestine answered,letting her cloak fall upon the back of the stall.
The curtain was rung up and the play began.It was a modern society drama,full of all the most up-to-date fashionable jargon and topical illusions.Trent grew more and more bewildered at every moment.Suddenly,towards the end of the first act,a fine dramatic situation leaped out like a tongue of fire.The interest of the whole audience,up to then only mildly amused,became suddenly intense.Trent sat forward in his seat.Ernestine ceased to fan herself.The man and the woman stood face to face -the light badinage which had been passing between them suddenly ended -the man,with his sin stripped bare,mercilessly exposed,the woman,his accuser,passionately eloquent,pouring out her scorn upon a mute victim.The audience knew what the woman in the play did not know,that it was for love of her that the man had sinned,to save her from a terrible danger which had hovered very near her life.The curtain fell,the woman leaving the room with a final taunt flung over her shoulder,the man seated at a table looking steadfastly into the fire with fixed,unseeing eyes.The audience drew a little breath and then applauded;the orchestra struck up and a buzz of conversation began.
It was then that Ernestine first noticed how absorbed the man at her side had become.His hands were gripping the arms of the stall,his eyes were fixed upon the spot somewhere behind the curtain where this sudden little drama had been played out,as though indeed they could pierce the heavy upholstery and see beyond into the room where the very air seemed quivering still with the vehemence of the woman's outpoured scorn.Ernestine spoke to him at last,the sound of her voice brought him back with a start to the present.
"You like it?"
"The latter part,"he answered."What a sudden change!At first Ithought it rubbish,afterwards it was wonderful!""Hubert is a fine actor,"she remarked,fanning herself."It was his first opportunity in the play,and he certainly took advantage of it."He turned deliberately round in his seat towards her,and she was struck with the forceful eagerness of his dark,set face.
"The man,"he whispered hoarsely,"sinned for the love of the woman.
Was he right?Would a woman forgive a man who deceived her for her own sake -when she knew?"Ernestine held up her programme and studied it deeply.
"I cannot tell,"she said,"it depends."
Trent drew a little breath and turned away.A quiet voice from his other side whispered in his ear -"The woman would forgive if she cared for the man."Trent turned sharply and the light died out of his voice.Surely it was an evil omen,this man's coming;for it was Captain Francis who had taken the vacant seat and who was watching his astonishment with a somewhat saturnine smile.
"Rather a stupid play,isn't it?By the by,Trent,I wish you would ask Miss Wendermott's permission to present me.I met her young cousin out at Attra."Ernestine heard and leaned forward smiling.Trent did as he was asked,with set teeth and an ill grace.From then,until the curtain went up for the next act,he had only to sit still and listen.
Afterwards the play scarcely fulfilled the promise of its commencement.At the third act Trent had lost all interest in it.
Suddenly an idea occurred to him.He drew a card from his pocket and,scribbling a word or two on it,passed it along to Lady Tresham.She leaned forward and smiled approval upon him.
"Delightful!"
Trent reached for his hat and whispered in Ernestine's ear.
"You are all coming to supper with me at the 'Milan,'"he said;"I am going on now to see about it."She smiled upon him,evidently pleased.
"What a charming idea!But do you mean all of us?""Why not?"He found his carriage outside without much difficulty and drove quickly round to the Milan Restaurant.The director looked doubtful.
