Part 37 (1/2)

He did not mention that all other walkers-on with understudies were only getting a guinea; some of them nothing at all. He only looked at her with kindness and comrades.h.i.+p.

As for her: she could have fallen at his feet in thankfulness. The contract was signed and she went home happy.

Thirty s.h.i.+llings a week _certain_!

CHAPTER XVIII

It was in bitter February weather that Poppy's engagement began, and there had been a week of heavy rehearsing before the opening night. She soon felt the strain of the unaccustomed work. Ravenhill's was a Repertoire-Company, and the bill was changed every week, so that while they played one play at night they were busy most of the day rehearsing another for the coming week. This meant that from ten o'clock in the morning until three or four in the afternoon, and again from seven until eleven at night, Poppy was parted from her baby. She was obliged to permanently employ a little nursemaid, and also, to her bitter sorrow, to wean her baby.

She comforted herself disconsolately with the thought that the change was better for him, because she was not so vigorous now as at first. But many a time the silky black head was scalded with its mother's tears, for that she might no more feel the cling of little lips.

The theatre began to interest her from a literary point of view. The writing of plays suggested itself as a fascinating medium for the expression of herself; she saw that knowledge of stage-craft would be of enormous use to her in this direction, and she became absorbed in observing and making notes on everything concerning stage technique and production.

Her appearance, when ”made up,” was quite charming, and Ravenhill was always glad to put her into a scene, and would give her a one-line part whenever it was possible. Often she would find herself ”on” alone with the ”star” in a scene--a court lady, perhaps, lingering by a window while the Queen gave forth an impa.s.sioned soliloquy; or a picturesque figure in the background of a garden-scene; but terrible shyness and emotion affected her when she had to open her lips on the stage, if only to say ”Good-morrow” or ”Come hither”; and her voice was altogether too delicate and canorous for stage use. She preferred to be on with the crowd--a peasant woman in a tattered skirt and kerchief, leading a hooting riot in _Richard II_, or a stately lady dancing in the house of the _Capulets_, or an Egyptian girl in the streets of Alexandria carrying a torch to light _Antony_ and _Cleopatra_ to bed. Ravenhill was disappointed in her that she did not work at her voice, nor seem anxious for parts. He did not know that she was trying to serve two G.o.ds; and that all her incense was burnt at the altar of literature, for still she returned and returned again to the mistress she loved, but whose face was turned from her.

She could not afford to ride to and fro from the theatre, for there were four journeys to be made on ordinary days, and on _matinee_ days six, and tenpence a day made too large a hole in a salary needed for many things. So at night she took a 'bus to Westminster Bridge at the cost of a halfpenny and from thence, in all weathers, she faithfully padded-the-hoof for home. The shelter of the long stretch of St.

Stephen's and the Houses of Parliament was always grateful; sometimes, just as she turned the corner of the Victoria Tower, the wind from the river would sweep and curl around her, nearly rus.h.i.+ng her off her feet.

Then came the long, cutting tramp along the Embankment. Often in those midnight walks she thought of Charles Bramham. He, too, had known walking in the biting cold on tired feet and with a painfully empty stomach! The fatigue that got hold of her sometimes was terrible. But always for the sake of the silky black head of a king's son, she laughed and worked on.

The people at the theatre were kind and pleasant, and she made many friends. But they were friends of the theatre only, she kept them all rigidly out of her private life; and that not without effort, for her personality was magnetic and people always wanted to know her. She was interesting and mysterious, they thought, and presently she became the enigma of the theatre because she never lied about her salary, nor bragged of her genius, nor repeated fascinating things that ”someone in front” had said about her voice and her face, nor bored anyone with tales of the great future predicted for her.

Indeed, she was at this time striving with a valorous heart to live according to Stevenson's creed:

”To be honest: to be kind: To earn a little--and to spend a little less.”

One day when she had got home early from rehearsal, and was spending some rapturous moments over the adored silken head asleep on its pillow, Mrs. Print came to her very much _en deshabille_, her head wrapped in a towel, full of excitement.

”There's a gentleman at the front door, knocking,” she said; ”and, oh, ma'am, Mrs. Chard would you be so kind as to open it? As sure as I wash my 'ead, it always 'appens so!”

Poppy, good-naturedly, complied, giving a switch of her eye at a mirror first, for vanity was far from being dead in her yet. She opened the door to--Charles Bramham!

Pale with amazement, she stood glimmering at him through her hair.

”You!” she cried; then held out her hands in welcome, for welcome he truly was, with the smell and burn of Africa on him.

”Yes; me! I bet you didn't think I'd have the cheek to come and find you out. I had a great time digging your address out of Miss Drake. But why should you hide? Mayn't I come in?”

”Of course,” she said, and led the way; but her manner was a little constrained. It had not been on her programme at all to let Charles Bramham, or any other man, into the secret of her life.

”What do you want?” she asked half crossly, when they were in the sitting-room.

”To see you. And you looked mightily glad to see me, at first. Don't tell me now, that you are not! But what have you been doing to yourself?

London is killing you. You'd better come back to Africa, or you'll pa.s.s out. You're so thin I can see through you, and your eyes are too big for your face.”

He sat down and they talked eagerly. She told him something of her disappointments, more of her hopes, and at last, of being obliged to take to the theatre as a stop-gap ”until such time as she began to succeed in literature.”

”But why work like this?” he said discontentedly. ”You'll kill yourself burning two candles at once.”