Outside the house, in the sunny walk leading to the gates, the three from
the theatre met, full face, a lady and two gentlemen who had been
sauntering up and down in the pleasant weather. The lady was Evelyn Byrd;
the gentlemen were Mr. Lee and Mr. Grymes.
Audrey, moving slightly in advance of her companions, halted at the sight
of Evelyn, and the rich color surged to her face; but the other, pale and
lovely, kept her composure, and, with a smile and a few graceful words of
greeting, curtsied deeply to the player. Audrey, with a little catch of
her breath, returned the curtsy. Both women were richly dressed, both were
beautiful; it seemed a ceremonious meeting of two ladies of quality. The
gentlemen also bowed profoundly, pressing their hats against their hearts.
Mistress Stagg, to whom her protégée's aversion to company was no light
cross, twitched her Mirabell by the sleeve and, hanging upon his arm,
prevented his further advance. The action said: "Let the child alone;
maybe when the ice is once broken she'll see people, and not be so shy and
strange!"
"Mr. Lee," said Evelyn sweetly, "I have dropped my glove,--perhaps in the
summer-house on the terrace. If you will be so good? Mr. Grymes, will you
desire Mr. Stagg yonder to shortly visit me at my lodging? I wish to
bespeak a play, and would confer with him on the matter."
The gentlemen bowed and hasted upon their several errands, leaving Audrey
and Evelyn standing face to face in the sunny path. "You are well, I
hope," said the latter, in her low, clear voice, "and happy?"
"I am well, Mistress Evelyn," answered Audrey. "I think that I am not
unhappy."
The other gazed at her in silence; then, "We have all been blind," she
said. "'Tis not a year since May Day and the Jaquelins' merrymaking. It
seems much longer. You won the race,--do you remember?--and took the prize
from my hand. And neither of us thought of all that should follow--did
we?--or guessed at other days. I saw you last night at the theatre, and
you made my heart like to burst for pity and sorrow. You were only playing
at woe? You are not unhappy, not like that?"
Audrey shook her head. "No, not like that."
There was a pause, broken by Evelyn. "Mr. Haward is in town," she said, in
a low but unfaltering voice, "He was at the playhouse last night. I
watched him sitting in a box, in the shadow.... You also saw him?"