He will be
there doing my work."
"And you will sleep and be well to-morrow? To-morrow you will ride
again, and there will be the applause."
Even as he spoke he knew his words were foolishness. The feverish
skin, dry lips and eyes that were like burning holes in the thin oval
face were signs and tokens enough for the most unseeing of men. And
Vardri had suffered sufficiently himself to be able to recognise
genuine illness.
She slipped from his arms.
The little dreary laugh made him shiver.
"_Mille remerciments, mon camarade_. I'm a failure, and failures are
best left alone. _C'est ainsi que la vie_!"
* * * * * *
Hers was the sole fiasco in an otherwise successful performance.
The final spectacle was a lurid representation of the destruction of
Sodom and Gomorrah.
This species of scriptural tableaux was frequently given, and was
greatly to the taste of the spectators.
Such scenes were regularly presented in the theatres and heartily
enjoyed by the superstitious and devout populace, who found in them
nothing incongruous or repulsive to their piety.
Pages:
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140