"
CHAPTER XIX
THE "FIRST NIGHT" PERFORMANCE
The curtain fell amidst a roar of applause, and the lights flashed up
over the auditorium once more. It was the first night performance of
"Mrs. Fleming's Husband," and the house was packed with the usual crowd
of first-nighters, critics, and members of "the" profession who were
anxious to see Miss de Gervais in the new part Max Errington had
created for her.
Diana and Joan Stair were in a box, escorted only by Jerry, since Max
had firmly refused to come down to the theatre for the first
performance.
"I can't stand first nights," he had said. "At least, not of my own
plays." And not even Diana's persuasions had availed to move him from
this decision.
Joan was ecstatic in her praise.
"Isn't Adrienne simply wonderful?" she exclaimed, as the music of the
_entr'acte_ stole out from the hidden orchestra.
"'M, yes." Diana's reply lacked enthusiasm.
Joan, if she could not boast great powers of intuition, was dowered
with a keen observation, and she had not spent a week at Lilac Lodge
without putting two and two together and making four of them. She had
noticed a great change in Diana. The girl was moody and unusually
silent; her gay good spirits had entirely vanished, and more than once
Joan had caught her regarding her husband with a curious mixture of
resentment and contempt in her eyes. Joan was frankly worried over the
state of affairs.
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