The reign of unrest at the abbey was complete by the time Jimmy
arrived there. The preliminary rehearsals had been gone through with
by the company, who, being inexperienced, imagined the worst to be
over.

Having hustled Jimmy into the vacant part, Charteris gave his energy
free play. He conducted rehearsals with a vigor which occasionally
almost welded the rabble which he was coaching into something
approaching coherency. He never rested. He painted scenery, and left
it about--wet--and people sat on it. He nailed up horseshoes for luck,
and they fell on people. He distributed typed parts of the play among
the company, and they lost them. But nothing daunted him.

"Mr. Charteris," said Lady Blunt after one somewhat energetic
rehearsal, "is indefatigable. He whirled me about!"

This was perhaps his greatest triumph, that he had induced Lady Blunt
to take part in the piece. Her first remark, on being asked, had been
to the effect that she despised acting. Golden eloquence on the part
of the author-manager had induced her to modify this opinion; and
finally she had consented, on the understanding that she was not to be
expected to attend every rehearsal, to play a small part.

The only drawback to an otherwise attractive scheme was the fact that
she would not be able to wear her jewels. Secretly, she would have
given much to have done so; but the scene in which she was to appear
was a daylight scene, in which the most expensive necklace would be
out of place. So she had given up the idea with a stoicism that showed
her to be of the stuff of which heroines are made.