whirligigs-第31节

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been　a　scream　had　it　not　possessed　so　pure　a　musical

quality。　　She　hurled　back　at　the　attacking　four　their

denunciations　in　tones　sweet；　but　of　too　great　carrying

power　for　a　Broadway　restaurant。



Finally　they　exhausted　her　patience　both　as　a　woman

and　an　artist。　　She　sprang　up　like　a　panther；　managed

to　smash　half　a　dozen　plates　and　glasses　with　one　royal

sweep　of　her　arm；　and　defied　her　critics。　　They　rose　and

wrangled　more　loudly。　　The　comedian　sighed　and　looked

a　trifle　sadder　and　disinterested。　　The　manager　came

tripping　and　suggested　peace。　　He　was　told　to　go　to　the

popular　synonym　for　war　so　promptly　that　the　affair

might　have　happened　at　The　Hague。



Thus　was　the　manager　angered。　　He　made　a　sign

with　his　hand　and　a　waiter　slipped　out　of　the　door。　　In

twenty　minutes　the　party　of　six　was　in　a　police　station

facing　a　grizzled　and　philosophical　desk　sergeant。



〃Disorderly　conduct　in　a　restaurant；〃　said　the　police…

man　who　had　brought　the　party　in。



The　author　of　〃A　Gay　Coquette〃　stepped　to　the　front。

He　wore　nose…glasses　and　evening　clothes；　even　if　his　shoes

had　been　tans　before　they　met　the　patent…leather…polish

bottle。



〃Mr。　Sergeant；〃　said　he；　out　of　his　throat；　like　Actor

Irving；　〃I　would　like　to　protest　against　this　arrest。　　The　

company　of　actors　who　are　performing　in　a　little　play

that　I　have　written；　in　company　with　a　friend　and　myself

were　having　a　little　supper。　　We　became　deeply　interested

in　the　discussion　as　to　which　one　of　the　cast　is　responsible

for　a　scene　in　the　sketch　that　lately　has　fallen　so　flat　that

the　piece　is　about　to　become　a　failure。　　We　may　have

been　rather　noisy　and　intolerant　of　interruption　by　the

restaurant　people；　but　the　matter　was　of　considerable

importance　to　all　of　us。　　You　see　that　we　are　sober　and

are　not　the　kind　of　people　who　desire　to　raise　disturbances。

I　hope　that　the　case　will　not　be　pressed　and　that　we　may

be　allowed　to　go。〃



〃Who　makes　the　charge？〃　　asked　the　sergeant。



〃Me；〃　said　a　white…aproned　voice　in　the　rear。　　〃De

restaurant　sent　me　to。　De　gang　was　raisin'　a　rough…

house　and　breakin'　dishes。〃



〃The　dishes　were　paid　for；〃　said　the　playwright。

〃They　were　not　broken　purposely。　　In　her　anger；　because

we　remonstrated　with　her　for　spoiling　the　scene；　Miss　　〃



〃It's　not　true；　sergeant；〃　cried　the　clear　voice　of　Miss。

Clarice　Carroll。　　In　a　long　coat　of　tan　silk　and　a　red…

plumed　hat；　she　bounded　before　the　desk。



〃It's　not　my　fault；〃　she　cried　indignantly。　　〃How…

dare　they　say　such　a　thing！　　I've　played　the　title　r鬺e

ever　since　it　was　staged；　and　if　you　want　to　know　who　made

it　a　success；　ask　the　public　　that's　all。〃



〃What　Miss　Carroll　says　is　true　in　part；〃　said　the

author。　　〃For　five　months　the　comedietta　was　a　drawing…

card　in　the　best　houses。　　But　during　the　last　two　weeks

it　has　lost　favour。　　There　is　one　scene　in　it　in　which　Miss

Carroll　made　a　big　hit。　　Now　she　hardly　gets　a　hand　out

of　it。　　She　spoils　it　by　acting　it　entirely　different　from

her　old　way。〃



〃It　is　not　my　fault；〃　reiterated　the　actress。



〃There　are　only　two　of　you　on　in　the　scene；〃　argued

the　playwright　hotly；　〃you　and　Delmars；　here　　〃



〃Then　it's　his　fault；〃　declared　Miss　Carroll；　with　a

lightning　glance　of　scorn　from　her　dark　eyes。　　The

comedian　caught　it；　and　gazed　with　increased　melancholy

at　the　panels　of　the　sergeant's　desk。



The　night　was　a　dull　one　in　that　particular　police　station。



The　sergeant's　long…blunted　curiosity　awoke　a　little。



〃I've　heard　you；〃　he　said　to　the　author。　　And　then

he　addressed　the　thin…faced　and　ascetic…looking　lady

of　the　company　who　played　〃Aunt　Turnip…top〃　in　the

little　comedy。

　　　　　　　　　

〃Who　do　you　think　spoils　the　scene　you　are　fussing

about？〃　　he　asked。



〃I'm　no　knocker；〃　said　that　lady；　〃and　everybody

knows　it。　　So；　when　I　say　that　Clarice　falls　down　every

time　in　that　scene　I'm　judging　her　art　and　not　herself。

She　was　great　in　it　once。　　She　does　it　something　fierce

now。　　It'll　dope　the　show　if　she　keeps　it　up。〃



The　sergeant　looked　at　the　comedian。



〃You　and　the　lady　have　this　scene　together；　I　under…

stand。　　I　suppose　there's　no　use　asking　you　which　one

of　you　queers　it？〃



The　comedian　avoided　the　direct　rays　from　the　two

fixed　stars　of　Miss　Carroll's　eyes。



〃I　don't　know；〃　he　said；　looking　down　at　his　patent…

leather　toes。



〃Are　you　one　of　the　actors？〃　　asked　the　sergeant　of

a　dwarfish　youth　with　a　middle…aged　face。



〃Why；　say！〃　　replied　the　last　Thespian　witness；　〃you

don't　notice　any　tin　spear　in　my　hands；　do　you？　　You

haven't　heard　me　shout：　'See；　the　Emperor　comes！'　since

I've　been　in　here；　have　you？　　I　guess　I'm　on　the　stage

long　enough　for　'em　not　to　start　a　panic　by　mistaking　me

for　a　thin　curl　of　smoke　rising　above　the　footlights。〃



〃In　your　opinion；　if　you've　got　one；〃　said　the　sergeant；

〃is　the　frost　that　gathers　on　the　scene　in　question

the　work　of　the　lady　or　the　gentleman　who　takes

part　in　it？〃



The　middle…aged　youth　looked　pained。



〃I　regret　to　say；〃　he　answered；　〃that　Miss　Carroll

seems　to　have　lost　her　grip　on　that　scene。　　She's　all　right

in　the　rest　of　the　play；　but　　but　I　tell　you；　sergeant；　she

can　do　it　　she　has　done　it　equal　to　any　of　'em　　and

she　can　do　it　again。〃



Miss　Carroll　ran　forward；　glowing　and　palpitating。



〃Thank　you；　Jimmy；　for　the　first　good　word　I've　had

in　many　a　day；〃　she　cried。　　And　then　she　turned　her

eager　face　toward　the　desk。



〃I'll　show　you；　sergeant；　whether　I　am　to　blame。　　I'll

show　them　whether　I　can　do　that　same。　　Come；　Mr。

Delmars；　let　us　begin。　　You　will　let　us；　won't　you；

sergeant？〃



〃How　long　will　it　take？〃　　asked　the　sergeant；　dubiously。



〃Eight　minutes；〃　said　the　playwright。　　〃The　entire

play　consumes　but　thirty。〃



〃You　may　go　ahead；〃　said　the　sergeant。　　〃Most　of

you　seem　to　side　against　the　little　lady。　　Maybe　she　had

a　right　to　crack　up　a　saucer　or　two　in　that　restaurant。

We'll　see　how　she　does　the　turn　before　we　take　that　up。〃



The　matron　of　the　police　station　had　been　standing

near；　listening　to　the　singular　argument。　　She　came

nigher　and　stood　near　the　sergeant's　chair。　　Two　or

three　of　the　reserves　strolled　in；　big　and　yawning。



〃Before　beginning　the　scene；〃　said　the　playwright；　〃and

assuming　that　you　have　not　seen　a　production　of　'A　Gay

Coquette；'　I　will　make　a　brief　but　necessary　explanation。

It　is　a　musical…farce…comedy　　burlesque…comedietta。

As　the　title　implies；　Miss　Carroll's　r鬺e　is　that　of　a　gay；

rollicking；　mischievous；　heartless　coquette。　　She　sustains

that　character　throughout　the　entire　comedy　part　of　the

production。　　And　I　have　designed　the　extravaganza

features　so　that　she　may　preserve　and　present　the　same

coquettish　idea。



〃Now；　the　scene　in　which　we　take　exception　to　Miss

Carroll's　acting　is　called　the　'gorilla　dance。'　She　is

costumed　to　represent　a　wood　nymph；　and　there　is　a　great

song…and…dance　scene　with　a　gorilla　　played　by　Mr。

Delmars；　the　comedian。　　A　tropical…forest　stage　is　set。



〃That　used　to　get　four　and　five　recalls。　　The　main

thing　was　the　acting　and　the　dance　　it　was　the　funniest

thing　in　New　York　for　five　months。　　Delmars's　song；

'I'll　Woo　Thee　to　My　Sylvan　Home；'　while　he　and　Miss

Carroll　were　cutting　hide…and…seek　capers　among　the

tropical　plants；　was　a　winner。〃



〃What's　the　trouble　with　the　scene　now？〃　　asked　the

sergeant。



〃Miss　Carroll　spoils　it　right　in　the　middle　of　it；〃　said

the　playwright　wrathfully。



With　a　wide　gesture　of　her　ever…moving　arms　the

actress　waved　back　the　little　group　of　spectators；　leaving

a　space　in　front　of　the　desk　for　the　scene　of　her　vindication

or　fall。　　Then　she　whipped　off　her　long　tan　cloak　and

tossed　it　across　the　arm　of　the　policeman　who　still　stood

officially　among　them。



Miss　Carroll　had　gone　to　supper　well　cloaked；　but

in　the　costume　of　the　tropic　wood　nymph。　　A　skirt　of

fern　leaves　touched　her　knee；　she　was　like　a　humming…

bird　　green　and　golden　and　purple。



And　then　she　danced　a　fluttering；　fantastic　dance；　so

agile　and　light　and　mazy　in　her　steps　that　the　other　three

members　of　the　Carroll　Comedy　Company　broke　into

applause　at　the　art　of　it。



And　at　the　proper　time　Delmars　leaped　out　at　　　　her

side；　mimicking　the　uncouth；　hideous　bounds　of　the

gorilla　so　funnily　that　the　grizzled　sergeant　himself　gave

a　short　laugh　like　the　closing　of　a　padlock。　　They　danced

together　the　gorilla　dance；　and　won　a　hand　from　all。



Then　began　the　most　fantastic　part　of　the　scene　

the　wooing　of　the　nymph　by　the　gorilla。　　It　was　a　kind

of　dance　itself　　eccentric　and　prankish；　with　the　nymph

coquettish　and　seductive　retreat；　followed　by　the　gorilla

as　he　sang　〃I'll　Woo　Thee　to　My　Sylvan　Home。〃



The　song　was　a　lyric　of　merit。　　The　words　were　non…

sense；　as　befitted　the　play；　but　the　music　was　worthy　of

something　better。