pretended that she was as excited as he, and went with him next day to the hotel. She was to wait in the lobby while Michael saw the great man.
'Wish me luck,' he whispered, as he turned from her to enter the lift. 'It's almost too good to be true.'
Julia sat in a great leather armchair willing with all her might the American manager to offer a part that Michael would refuse or a salary that he felt it would be beneath his dignity to accept. Or alternatively that he should get Michael to read the part he had in view and come to the conclusion that he could not touch it. But when she saw Michael coming towards her half an hour later, his eyes bright and his step swinging, she knew he had clicked. For a moment she thought she was going to be sick, and when she forced on her face an eager, happy smile, she felt that her muscles were stiff and hard.
'It's all right. He says it's a damned good part, a boy's part, nineteen. Eight or ten weeks in New York and then on the road. It's a safe forty weeks with John Drew. Two hundred and fifty dollars a week.'
'Oh, darling, how wonderful for you.'
It was quite clear that he had accepted with alacrity. The thought of refusing had never even occurred to him.
'And I –I,' she thought, 'if they'd offered me a thousand dollars a week I wouldn't have gone if it meant being separated from Michael.'
Black despair seized her. She could do nothing. She must pretend to be as delighted as he was. He was too much excited to sit still and took her out into the crowded street to walk.
'It's a wonderful chance. Of course America's expensive, but I ought to be able to live on fifty dollars a week at the outside, they say the Americans are awfully hospitable and I shall get a lot of free meals. I don't see why I shouldn't save eight thousand dollars in the forty weeks and that's sixteen hundred pounds.'
('He doesn't love me. He doesn't care a damn about me. I hate him. I'd like to kill him. Blast that American manager.')
'And if he takes me on for a second year I'm to get three hundred. That means that in two years I'd have the best part of four thousand pounds. Almost enough to start management on.'
'A second year!' For a moment Julia lost control of herself and her voice was heavy with tears. 'D'you mean to say you'll be gone two years?'
'Oh, I should come back next summer of course. They pay my fare back and I'd go and live at home so as not to spend any money.'
'I don't know how I'm going to get on without you.'
She said the words very brightly, so that they sounded polite, but somewhat casual.
'Well, we can have a grand time together in the summer and you know a year, two years at the outside, well, it passes like a flash of lightning.'
Michael had been walking at random, but Julia without his noticing had guided him in the direction she wished, and now they arrived in front of the theatre. She stopped.
'I'll see you later. I've got to pop up and see Jimmie.' His face fell.
'You're not going to leave me now! I must talk to somebody. I thought we might go and have a snack together before the show.'
'I'm terribly sorry. Jimmie's expecting me and you know what he is.'
Michael gave her his sweet, good-natured smile.
'Oh, well, go on then. I'm not going to hold it up against you because for once you've let me down.'
He walked on and she went in by the stage door. Jimmie Langton had arranged himself a tiny flat under the roof to which you gained access through the balcony. She rang the bell of his front door and he opened it himself. He was surprised, but pleased, to see her.
'Hulloa, Julia, come in.'
She walked past him without a word, and when they got into his sitting-room, untidy, littered with typescript plays, books and other rubbish, the remains of his frugal luncheon still on a tray by his desk, she turned and faced him. Her jaw was set and her eyes were frowning.
'You devil!'
With a swift gesture she went up to him, seized him by his loose shirt collar with both hands and
'Wish me luck,' he whispered, as he turned from her to enter the lift. 'It's almost too good to be true.'
Julia sat in a great leather armchair willing with all her might the American manager to offer a part that Michael would refuse or a salary that he felt it would be beneath his dignity to accept. Or alternatively that he should get Michael to read the part he had in view and come to the conclusion that he could not touch it. But when she saw Michael coming towards her half an hour later, his eyes bright and his step swinging, she knew he had clicked. For a moment she thought she was going to be sick, and when she forced on her face an eager, happy smile, she felt that her muscles were stiff and hard.
'It's all right. He says it's a damned good part, a boy's part, nineteen. Eight or ten weeks in New York and then on the road. It's a safe forty weeks with John Drew. Two hundred and fifty dollars a week.'
'Oh, darling, how wonderful for you.'
It was quite clear that he had accepted with alacrity. The thought of refusing had never even occurred to him.
'And I –I,' she thought, 'if they'd offered me a thousand dollars a week I wouldn't have gone if it meant being separated from Michael.'
Black despair seized her. She could do nothing. She must pretend to be as delighted as he was. He was too much excited to sit still and took her out into the crowded street to walk.
'It's a wonderful chance. Of course America's expensive, but I ought to be able to live on fifty dollars a week at the outside, they say the Americans are awfully hospitable and I shall get a lot of free meals. I don't see why I shouldn't save eight thousand dollars in the forty weeks and that's sixteen hundred pounds.'
('He doesn't love me. He doesn't care a damn about me. I hate him. I'd like to kill him. Blast that American manager.')
'And if he takes me on for a second year I'm to get three hundred. That means that in two years I'd have the best part of four thousand pounds. Almost enough to start management on.'
'A second year!' For a moment Julia lost control of herself and her voice was heavy with tears. 'D'you mean to say you'll be gone two years?'
'Oh, I should come back next summer of course. They pay my fare back and I'd go and live at home so as not to spend any money.'
'I don't know how I'm going to get on without you.'
She said the words very brightly, so that they sounded polite, but somewhat casual.
'Well, we can have a grand time together in the summer and you know a year, two years at the outside, well, it passes like a flash of lightning.'
Michael had been walking at random, but Julia without his noticing had guided him in the direction she wished, and now they arrived in front of the theatre. She stopped.
'I'll see you later. I've got to pop up and see Jimmie.' His face fell.
'You're not going to leave me now! I must talk to somebody. I thought we might go and have a snack together before the show.'
'I'm terribly sorry. Jimmie's expecting me and you know what he is.'
Michael gave her his sweet, good-natured smile.
'Oh, well, go on then. I'm not going to hold it up against you because for once you've let me down.'
He walked on and she went in by the stage door. Jimmie Langton had arranged himself a tiny flat under the roof to which you gained access through the balcony. She rang the bell of his front door and he opened it himself. He was surprised, but pleased, to see her.
'Hulloa, Julia, come in.'
She walked past him without a word, and when they got into his sitting-room, untidy, littered with typescript plays, books and other rubbish, the remains of his frugal luncheon still on a tray by his desk, she turned and faced him. Her jaw was set and her eyes were frowning.
'You devil!'
With a swift gesture she went up to him, seized him by his loose shirt collar with both hands and
Similar Books
