"But what have your outdoor theatricals to do--But of course. You intend
to give the proceeds--"
"Exactly. And we want the proceeds to be as large as possible. We propose
to give our time and money to getting the thing up in the best shape, and
then we want all the villagers to give their half-dollars and make it a
success every way."
"I see," said Annie.
"We want it to be successful, and we want it to be distinguished; we
want to make it unique. Mrs. Munger is going to give her grounds and the
decorations, and there will be a supper afterward, and a little dance."
"Such things are a great deal of trouble," said Annie, with a smile, from
the vantage-ground of her larger experience. "What do you propose to
do--what play?"
"Well, we've about decided upon some scenes from _Romeo and Juliet_.
They would be very easy to set, outdoors, don't you know, and everybody
knows them, and they wouldn't be hard to do. The ballroom in the house of
the Capulets could be made to open on a kind of garden terrace--Mrs. Munger
has a lovely terrace in her grounds for lawn-tennis--and then we could have
a minuet on the grass. You know Miss Mather introduces a minuet in that
scene, and makes a great deal of it. Or, I forgot. She's come up since you
went away."
"Yes; I hadn't heard of her. Isn't a minuet at Verona in the time of the
Scaligeri rather--"
"Well, yes, it is, rather. But you've no idea how pretty it is. And then,
you know, we could have the whole of the balcony scene, and other bits
that we choose to work in--perhaps parts of other acts that would suit the
scene."
"Yes, it would be charming; I can see how very charming it could be made."
"Then we may count upon you?" he asked.
"Yes, yes," she said; "but I don't really know what I'm to do."
Mr. Brandreth had risen; but he sat down again, as if glad to afford her
any light he could throw upon the subject.
"How am I to 'influence people,' as you say?" she continued. "I'm quite a
stranger in Hatboro'; I hardly know anybody."
"But a great many people know _you_, Miss Kilburn. Your name is
associated with the history of the place, and you could do everything for
us. You _won't_ refuse!" cried Mr. Brandreth winningly. "For instance,
you know Mrs. Wilmington."