Theatre Page 0,102

the work that through her he had been able to bring the firm that he had secured a larger share in the profits. He told her of the holiday from which he had just returned. It was quite clear to Julia that he had no inkling how much he had made her suffer. That too made her now inclined to laugh.

"I hear you're going to have an enormous success tonight."

"It would be nice, wouldn't it?"

"Avice says that both you and Michael have been awfully good to her. Take care she doesn't romp away with the play."

He said it chaffingly, but Julia wondered whether Avice had told him that this was what she expected to do.

"Are you engaged to her?"

"No. She wants her freedom. She says an engagement would interfere with her career."

"With her what?" The words slipped out of Julia's mouth before she could stop them, but she immediately recovered herself. "Yes, I see what she means of course."

"Naturally, I don't want to stand in her way. I mean, supposing after tonight she got a big offer for America I can quite see that she ought to be perfectly free to accept."

Her career! Julia smiled quietly to herself.

"You know, I do think you're a brick, the way you've behaved to her."

"Why?"

"Oh well, you know what women are!"

As he said this he slipped his arm round her waist and kissed her. She laughed outright.

"What an absurd little thing you are." *

"How about a bit of love?"

"Don't be so silly."

"What is there silly about it? Don't you think we've been divorced long enough?"

"I'm all for irrevocable divorce. And what about Avice?"

"Oh, she's different. Come on."

"Has it slipped your memory that I've got a first night tonight?"

"There's plenty of time."

He put both arms round her and kissed her softly. She looked at him with mocking eyes. Suddenly she made up her mind.

"All right."

They got up and went into the bedroom. She took off her hat and slipped out of her dress. He held her in his arms as he had held her so often before. He kissed her closed eyes and the little breasts of which she was so proud. She gave him her body to do what he wanted with but her spirit held aloof. She returned his kisses out of amiability, but she caught herself thinking of the part she was going to play that night. She seemed to be two persons, the mistress in her lover's embrace, and the actress who already saw in her mind's eye the vast vague dark audience and heard the shouts of applause as she stepped on to the stage. When, a little later, they lay side by side, he with his arm round her neck, she forgot about him so completely that she was quite surprised when he broke a long silence.

"Don't you care for me any more?"

She gave him a little hug.

"Of course, darling. I dote on you."

"You're so strange today."

She realized that he was disappointed. Poor little thing, she didn't want to hurt his feelings. He was very sweet really.

"With the first night before me I'm not really myself today. You mustn't mind."

When she came to the conclusion, quite definitely now, that she no longer cared two straws for him she could not help feeling a great pity for him. She stroked his cheek gently.

"Sweetie pie. (I wonder if Michael remembered to have tea sent along to the queues. It doesn't cost much and they do appreciate it so enormously.) You know, I really must get up. Miss Phillips is coming at six. Evie will be in a state, she won't be able to think what's happened to me."

She chattered brightly while she dressed. She was conscious, although she did not look at him, that Tom was vaguely uneasy. She put her hat on, then she took his face in both her hands and gave him a friendly kiss.

"Good-bye, my lamb. Have a good time tonight."

"Best of luck."

He smiled with some awkwardness. She perceived that he did not quite know what to make of her. Julia slipped out of the flat, and if she had not been England's leading actress, and a woman of hard on fifty, she would have hopped on one leg all the way down Stanhope Place till she got to her house. She was as pleased as punch. She let herself in with her latchkey* and closed the front door behind her.

"I dare say there's something in what Roger said. Love isn't