"I beg your pardon," said Terry quietly and abstractedly to the audience.
And the scene-shifter bethought himself and let down the curtain.
The fourth act was not played that night. The people had had more than
the worth of their money. In a few moments the stage was crowded with
people from the audience, but both Jopp and O'Ryan had disappeared.
Among the visitors to the stage was Molly Mackinder. There was a meaning
smile upon her face as she said to Dicky Fergus:
"It was quite wonderful, wasn't it--like a scene out of the classics--the
gladiators or something?"
Fergus gave a wary smile as he answered: "Yes. I felt like saying Ave
Caesar, Ave! and I watched to see Artemis drop her handkerchief."
"She dropped it, but you were too busy to pick it up. It would have been
a useful sling for your arm," she added with thoughtful malice. "It
seemed so real--you all acted so well, so appropriately. And how you keep
it up!" she added, as he cringed when some one knocked against his elbow,
hurting the injured tendons.
Fergus looked at her meditatively before he answered. "Oh, I think we'll
likely keep it up for some time," he rejoined ironically.
"Then the play isn't finished?" she added.
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