"My friend, Mr. Bleke, is putting up the money," said Miss Verepoint,
with dignity. "He has taken the Windsor Theater."

The interest of the two authors in their host, till then languid,
increased with a jerk. "Has he? By Jove!" they cried. "We must get
together and talk this over."

It was Roland's first experience of a theatrical talking-over, and he
never forgot it. Two such talkers-over as Bromham Rhodes and R. P. de
Parys were scarcely to be found in the length and breadth of theatrical
London. Nothing, it seemed, could the gifted pair even begin to think
of doing without first discussing the proposition in all its aspects.
The amount of food which Roland found himself compelled to absorb during
the course of these debates was appalling. Discussions which began at
lunch would be continued until it was time to order dinner; and then,
as likely as not, they would have to sit there till supper-time in order
to thrash the question thoroughly out.

* * * * *

The collection of a cast was a matter even more complicated than the
actual composition of the revue. There was the almost insuperable
difficulty that Miss Verepoint firmly vetoed every name suggested. It
seemed practically impossible to find any man or woman in all England
or America whose peculiar gifts or lack of them would not interfere
with Miss Verepoint's giving a satisfactory performance of the
principal role. It was all very perplexing to Roland; but as Miss
Verepoint was an expert in theatrical matters, he scarcely felt
entitled to question her views.