Part 4 (2/2)

”My dear child!” cried Lady Gower, in dismay. ”What is it? The excitement has been too much for you.”

”No, I am just happy,” sobbed Helen. ”I am just happy for him.”

”We will go and tell him so then,” said Lady Gower. ”I am sure he would like to hear it from you to-night.”

Philip was standing in the centre of the stage, surrounded by many pretty ladies and elderly men. Wimpole was hovering over him as though he had claims upon him by the right of discovery.

But when Philip saw Helen, he pushed his way toward her eagerly and took her hand in both of his.

”I am so glad, Phil,” she said. She felt it all so deeply that she was afraid to say more, but that meant so much to her that she was sure he would understand.

He had planned it very differently. For a year he had dreamed that, on the first night of his play, there would be a supper, and that he would rise and drink her health, and tell his friends and the world that she was the woman he loved, and that she had agreed to marry him, and that at last he was able, through the success of his play, to make her his wife.

And now they met in a crowd to shake hands, and she went her way with one of her grand ladies, and he was left among a group of chattering strangers. The great English playwright took him by the hand and in the hearing of all, praised him gracefully and kindly. It did not matter to Philip whether the older playwright believed what he said or not; he knew it was generously meant.

”I envy you this,” the great man was saying. ”Don't lose any of it, stay and listen to all they have to say. You will never live through the first night of your first play but once.”

”Yes, I hear them,” said Philip, nervously; ”they are all too kind.

But I don't hear the voice I have been listening for,” he added in a whisper. The older man pressed his hand again quickly. ”My dear boy,” he said, ”I am sorry.”

”Thank you,” Philip answered.

Within a week he had forgotten the great man's fine words of praise, but the clasp of his hand he cherished always.

Helen met Marion as she was leaving the stage door and stopped to congratulate her on her success in the new part. Marion was radiant. To Helen she seemed obstreperously happy and jubilant.

”And, Marion,” Helen began bravely, ”I also want to congratulate you on something else. You--you--neither of you have told me yet,” she stammered, ”but I am such an old friend of both that I will not be kept out of the secret.” At these words Marion's air of triumphant gayety vanished; she regarded Helen's troubled eyes closely and kindly.

”What secret, Helen?” she asked.

”I came to the door of Philip's room the other day when you did not know I was there,” Helen answered; ”and I could not help seeing how matters were. And I do congratulate you both--and wish you--oh, such happiness!”

Without a word Marion dragged her back down the pa.s.sage to her dressing-room, and closed the door.

”Now tell me what you mean,” she said.

”I am sorry if I discovered anything you didn't want known yet,” said Helen, ”but the door was open. Mr. Wimpole had just left you and had not shut it, and I could not help seeing.”

Marion interrupted her with an eager exclamation of enlightenment.

”Oh, you were there, then,” she cried. ”And you?” she asked eagerly--”you thought Phil cared for me--that we are engaged, and it hurt you; you are sorry? Tell me,” she demanded, ”are you sorry?”

Helen drew back and stretched out her hand toward the door.

”How can you!” she exclaimed, indignantly. ”You have no right.”

Marion stood between her and the door.

”I have every right,” she said, ”to help my friends, and I want to help you and Philip. And indeed I do hope you ARE sorry. I hope you are miserable. And I'm glad you saw me kiss him. That was the first and the last time, and I did it because I was happy and glad for him; and because I love him too, but not in the least in the way he loves you. No one ever loved any one as he loves you. And it's time you found it out.

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