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her, but nothing is settled yet. I don't know her at all. Is she clever?"

"I think so. I was at the Academy with her."

"And pretty as a picture, they tell me." Rising to her feet to show that the audience was at an end, Julia put off her royalty. She changed her tone and became on a sudden the jolly, good-natured actress who would do a good turn to anyone if she could. "Well, dear, leave me your name and address and if there's anything doing I'll let you know."

"You won't forget me, Miss Lambert?"

"No, dear, I promise you I won't. It's been so nice to see you. You have a very sweet personality. You'll find your way out, won't you? Good-bye."

"A fat chance she's got of ever setting foot in this theatre," said Julia to herself when she was gone. "Dirty little bitch to seduce my son. Poor lamb. It's a shame, that's what it is; women like that oughtn't to be allowed."

She looked at herself in the glass as she slipped out of her beautiful gown. Her eyes were hard and her lips had a sardonic curl. She addressed her reflection.

"And I may tell you this, old girl: there's one person who isn't going to play in Nowadays and that's Miss Avice Crichton."

21

BUT a week or so later Michael mentioned her.

"I say, have you ever heard of a girl called Avice Crichton?"

"Never."

"I'm told she's rather good. A lady and all that sort of thing. Her father's in the army. I was wondering if she'd do for Honor."

"How did you hear about her?"

"Through Tom. He knows her, he says she's clever. She's playing in a Sunday night show. Next Sunday, in point of fact. He says he thinks it might be worth while to go and have a look-see."

"Well, why don't you?"

"I was going down to Sandwich to play golf. Would it bore you awfully to go? I expect the play's rotten, but you'd be able to tell if it was worth while letting her read the part. Tom'll go with you."

Julia's heart was beating nineteen to the dozen.

"Of course I'll go."

She phoned to Tom and asked him to come round and have a snack before they went to the theatre. He arrived before she was ready.

"Am I late or were you early?" she said, when she came into the drawing-room.

She saw that he had been waiting impatiently. He was nervous and eager.

"They're going to ring up sharp at eight," he said. "I hate getting to a play after it's begun."

His agitation told her all she wanted to know. She lingered a little over the cocktails.

"What is the name of this actress we're going to see tonight?" she asked.

"Avice Crichton. I'm awfully anxious to know what you think about her. I think she's a find. She knows you're coming tonight. She's frightfully nervous, but I told her she needn't be. You know what these Sunday night plays are; scratch rehearsals and all that; I said you'd quite understand and you'd make allowances."

All through dinner he kept looking at his watch. Julia acted the woman of the world. She talked of one thing and another and noticed that he listened with distraction. As soon as he could he brought the conversation back to Avice Crichton.

"Of course I haven't said anything to her about it, but I believe she'd be all right for Honor." He had read Nowadays, as he read, before they were produced, all Julia's plays. "She looks the part all right, I'm sure of that. She's had a struggle and of course it would be a wonderful chance for her. She admires you tremendously and she's terribly anxious to get into a play with you."

"That's understandable. It means the chance of a year's run and a lot of managers seeing her."

"She's the right colour, she's very fair; she'd be a good contrast to you."

"What with platinum and peroxide there's no lack of blondes on the stage."

"But hers is natural."

"Is it? I had a long letter from Roger this morning. He seems to be having quite a good time in Vienna."

Tom's interest subsided. He looked at his watch. When the coffee came Julia said it was undrinkable. She said she must have some more made.

"Oh, Julia, it isn't worth while. We shall be awfully late,"

"I don't suppose it matters if we miss the first few minutes."

His voice was anguished.

"I promised we wouldn't be late. She's got a very good scene almost at the beginning."

"I'm sorry,