Part 4 (1/2)

De Batz without a word led the way back towards the stage Here, by the diainst the surrounding walls, the scene-shi+fters were busy s, and paid no heed to the two men who strolled slowly up and down silently, each wrapped in his own thoughts

Armand walked with his hands buried in his breeches pockets, his head bent forward on his chest; but every now and again he threw quick, apprehensive glances round hie or a voice rang clearly through the now deserted theatre

”Are ise to wait here?” he asked, speaking to himself rather than to his companion

He was not anxious about his own safety; but the words of de Batz had impressed themselves upon his mind: ”Heron and his spies we have alith us”

Froreen-room a separate foyer and exit led directly out into the street Gradually the sound of hter and occasional snatches of song which for the past half-hour had proceeded from that part of the house, became more subdued andthe theatre, after having paid the usual banal compliments to those who of flowers to the brightest star of the night

The actors were the first to retire, then the older actresses, the ones who could no longer command a court of adreenrooe to where, at the back, a narrow, rickety wooden stairs led to their so-called dressing-roohted, unventilated, where some half-dozen of the lesser stars turease-paint

Armand and de Batz watched this exodus, both with equal ireen-room For some time, since the crowd had becolie led froreen-room door, which ide open, and at the corner of this passage the youngwith earnest adirl's head, with its wig of powdered curls that seemed scarcely whiter than the creamy brilliance of her skin

De Batz did not watch Mlle Lange beyond casting impatient looks in the direction of the crowd that prevented her leaving the green-rooer look, his brisk and alert lances of ad actress, and this seemed to afford him a considerable aone by since the fall of the curtain before Mlle Lange finally dismissed herher running down the passage, turning back occasionally in order to bid gay ”good-nights” to the loiterers ere loath to part from her She was a child in all her movements, quite unconscious of self or of her own charhted with her success She was still dressed in the ridiculous hoops and panniers pertaining to her part, and the powdered peruke hid the charave a certain stilted air to her unaffected personality, which, by this very sense of contrast, was essentially fascinating

In her are sheaf of sweet-scented narcissi, the spoils of soht that never in his life had he seen anything so winso at last said the positively final adieu, Mlle Lange with a happy little sigh turned to run down the passage

She caasp of terror It was not good these days to come on any loiterer unawares

But already de Batz had quickly joined his friend, and his sed hand extended towards Mlle Lange, were sufficient to reassure her

”You were so surrounded in the green-room, mademoiselle,” he said courteously, ”I did not venture to press in areat wish to present ratulations in person”

”Ah! c'est ce cher de Batz!” exclai voice of hers ”And where in the world do you spring fro her ser to his lips with an urgent entreaty for discretion; ”notof you, fair one”

”Bah!” she retorted lightly, even though her full lips trembled now as she spoke and belied her very words ”You need have no fear whilst you are in this part of the house It is an understood thing that the Committee of General Security does not send its spies behind the curtain of a theatre Why, if all of us actors and actresses were sent to the guillotine there would be no play on the morrow Artistes are not replaceable in a few hours; those that are in existence overn us noould not knohere to spend their evenings”

But though she spoke so airily and with her accustoaiety, it was easily perceived that even on this childish ers which beset every one these days had already imprinted their -rooer, for they will be putting out the lights But I have a rooreeably”

She led the way across the stage towards the wooden stairs Ar this brief colloquy between his friend and the young girl had kept discreetly in the background, felt undecided what to do But at a pereay little lady, who ran swiftly up the rickety steps, hus the while, and not turning to see if indeed the twoher

She had the sheaf of narcissi still in her ar open, she ran straight in and threw the flowers down in a confused, sweet-scented mass upon the small table that stood at one end of the room, littered with pots and bottles, letters, s, and cambric handkerchiefs

Then she turned and faced the twoin her eyes

”Shut the door, mon ami,” she said to de Batz, ”and after that sit dohere you can, so long as it is not on uent or a box of costliest powder”

While de Batz did as he was told, she turned to Aration in her melodious voice:

”Monsieur?”