"Those censors ought to suppress this sort of buffoonery instead of
scenes of dignified passion like they did in Scarlet Sin," declared
Tessie. "Did you read about that?"

"They sure ought," agreed Merton. "These comedies make me tired. I
never see one if I can help it."

Walking on, they discussed the wretched public taste and the
wretched actors that pandered to it. The slap-stick comedy, they
held, degraded a fine and beautiful art. Merton was especially
severe. He always felt uncomfortable at one of these regrettable
exhibitions when people about him who knew no better laughed
heartily. He had never seen anything to laugh at, and said as much.

They crossed the street and paused at the door of Miss Kearns' shop,
behind which were her living rooms. She would to-night go over
Passion's Perils once more and send it to another company.

"I wonder," she said to Merton, "if they keep sending it back
because the sets are too expensive. Of course there's the one where
the dissipated English nobleman, Count Blessingham, lures Valerie
into Westminster Abbey for his own evil purposes on the night of the
old earl's murder--that's expensive--but they get a chance to use it
again when Valerie is led to the altar by young Lord Stonecliff, the
rightful heir. And of course Stonecliff Manor, where Valerie is
first seen as governess, would be expensive; but they use that in a
lot of scenes, too. Still, maybe I might change the locations around
to something they've got built."