he had some ability for the stage, so long as he had the stage to
himself and was playing to an admiring audience. As a
professional actor in a small part he would have been hopeless;
as an amateur playing the leading part, he deserved all that the
local papers had ever said about him. And so the idea of giving
us a private performance, directed against a professional actress
who had made fun of him, appealed equally to his vanity and his
desire for retaliation. If he, Mark Ablett, by his wonderful
acting could make Ruth Norris look a fool in front of the others,
could take her in, and then join in the laugh at her afterwards,
he would indeed have had a worthy revenge!

"It strikes you as childish, Mr. Gillingham? Ah, you never knew
Mark Ablett.

"'How, Cay, how?' he said eagerly.

"'Well, I haven't really thought it out,' I protested. 'It was
just an idea.'

"He began to think it out for himself.

"'I might pretend to be a manager, come down to see her--but I
suppose she knows them all. What about an interviewer?'

"'It's going to be difficult,' I said thoughtfully. 'You've got
rather a characteristic face, you know. And your beard--'

"'I'd shave it off,' he snapped.