Part 22 (1/2)
”'Aye, now am I in Arden, the more fool I; when I was at home, I was in a better place--but travelers must be content.'” And taking a firm grip of her memories, her wits, and her courage, she went down the hill.
XIV
ENTER KING MIDAS
When Patsy at last reached Arden she went direct to the post-office and was there confronted by a huge poster occupying an entire wall:
THE SYLVAN PLAYERS
Under the Management of Geo. Travis
Presenting Wm. Shakespeare's Comedy
”AS YOU LIKE IT”
In the Forest of Arden, on the Estate of Peterson-Jones, Esq.
The date given was Wednesday, the day following; and the cast registered her name opposite Rosalind.
”So that's the answer to the letter I wrote, and a grand answer it is. And that's the meaning of Janet Payne's remarks, and I never guessed it.” She heaved the faintest wisp of a sigh--it might have been pleasure; it might have been a twinge of pain. ”And I'm to be playing the Duke's daughter, after all, at the end of the road.”
She went to the general delivery and asked for mail. The clerk responded with three letters; Patsy almost whistled under her breath.
Retiring to a corner, she looked them over and opened first the one from George Travis:
DEAR IRISH PATSY,--You are a lucky beggar, and so am I. Here comes the news of Miriam St. Regis's illness and the canceling of all of her summer engagements in the same mail as your letter.
Just think of it! Here you are actually in Arden all ready for me to pick up and put in Miriam's place without having to budge from my desk. The Sylvan Players open with ”As You Like It.” If the critics like it--and you--as well as I think they will, I'll book you straight through the summer.
Felton's managing for me, so please report to him on Monday when he gets there. I may run down myself for a glimpse of your work.
Yours, G. TRAVIS.
P. S. More good luck. We are just in time to get your name on the posters; and unless my memory greatly deceives me, you will be able to walk right into all of Miriam's costumes.
”Aye, they'll fit,” agreed Patsy, with a chuckle. The second letter was from Felton--dated Monday. He was worried over her continued absence. He had not found her registered at either of the two hotels, and the postal clerk reported her mail uncalled for. Would she come to the Hillcrest Hotel at once. The third was from Janet Payne, expressing her grief over Joseph's death, and their disappointment at finding her gone the next morning when they motored over to take her to Arden. They were all looking forward to seeing her play on Wednesday.
Patsy returned the letters to their envelopes and marveled that her new-found prosperity should affect her so drearily. Why was she not elated, transported with the surprise and the sudden promise of success? She was free to go now to a good hotel and sign for a room and three regular meals a day. She could wire at once to Miss Gibbs, of the select boarding-house, and have her trunk down in twenty-four hours. In very truth, her days of vagabondage were over, yet the fact brought her no happiness.
She hunted Felton up at the hotel and explained her absence: ”Just a week-end at one of the fas.h.i.+onable places. No, not exactly professional. No, not social either. You might call it--providential, like this.”
The morning was spent meeting her fellow-players--going over the text, trying on the St. Regis costumes, adjourning at last to the estate of Peterson-Jones.
Until the middle of the afternoon they were busy with rehearsals: the mental tabulating of new stage business, the adapting of strange stage property, the accustoming of one's feet to tread gracefully over roots and tangling vines and slippery patches of pine needles instead of a good stage flooring. And through all this maze Patsy's mind played truant. A score of times it raced off back to the road again, to wait between a stretch of woodland and a grove of giant pines for the coming of a grotesque, vagabond figure in rags.
”Come, come, Miss O'Connell; what's the matter?” Felton's usual patience snapped under the strain of her persistent wit-wandering.
”I've had to tell you to change that entrance three times.”
”Aye--and what is the matter?” Patsy repeated the question remorsefully. ”Maybe I've acquired the habit of taking the wrong entrance. What can you expect from any one taking seven days to go seven miles. I'm dreadfully sorry. If you'll only let me off this time I promise to remember to-morrow; I promise!”