ItwasacrowdednightatWallack'stheatre.
Theplaywas "TheShaughraun," , ; inthestallsandboxes, peoplesmiledalittleatthehackneyedsentimentsandclap-trapsituations, andenjoyedtheplayasmuchasthegalleriesdid.
Therewasoneepisode, inparticular, , afterasad, almostmonosyllabicsceneofpartingwithMissDyas, badehergood-bye, , whowasstandingnearthemantelpieceandlookingdownintothefire, woreagraycashmeredresswithoutfashionableloopingsortrimmings, .
; thenhestoleback, liftedoneoftheendsofvelvetribbon, kissedit, .
ItwasalwaysforthesakeofthatparticularscenethatNewlandArcherwenttosee "TheShaughraun." HethoughttheadieuxofMontagueandAdaDyasasfineasanythinghehadeverseenCroisetteandBressantdoinParis, orMadgeRobertsonandKendalinLondon; initsreticence, itsdumbsorrow, —hecouldnothavesaidwhy—ofhisleave-takingfromMadameOlenskaaftertheirconfidentialtalkaweekortendaysearlier.
'sromanticgoodlooks, andMissDyaswasatallred-hairedwomanofmonumentalbuildwhosepaleandpleasantlyuglyfacewasutterlyunlikeEllenOlenska'; theywereclientandlawyerseparatingafteratalkwhichhadgiventhelawyertheworstpossibleimpressionoftheclient', then, laytheresemblancethatmadetheyoungman'sheartbeatwithakindofretrospectiveexcitement? ItseemedtobeinMadameOlenska', butitwasapartofher, eitheraprojectionofhermysteriousandoutlandishbackgroundorofsomethinginherentlydramatic, ', almostpassiveyoungwomanstruckhimasexactlythekindofpersontowhomthingswereboundtohappen, : thethingsshetookforgrantedgavethemeasureofthoseshehadrebelledagainst.
