Many women of the stage acquire a habitual staginess and

theatricality, and it was quite conceivable that Carlotta had

relations with Yvette, and that, ridden by the old jealousy which had

been aroused through the announcement of Rosa's return to the Opéra

Comique, she was setting herself in an indefinite, clumsy, stealthy,

and melodramatic manner to prevent Rosa's appearance in "Carmen."

No doubt she had been informed of Rosa's conference with me in the

church of St. Gilles, and, impelled by some vague, obscure motive, had

travelled to London to discover me, and having succeeded, was

determined by some means to prevent me from getting into touch with

Rosa in Paris. So I conjectured roughly, and subsequent events

indicated that I was not too far wrong.

I laughed. The notion of the middle-aged prima donna going about in

waste places at dead of night to work mischief against a rival was

indubitably comic. I would make a facetious narrative of the meeting

for the amusement of Rosa at breakfast to-morrow in Paris. Then,

feeling all at once at the end of my physical powers, I continued my

way, and descended the steps to the Calais boat.

All was excitement there. Had I heard of the railway accident? Yes, I

had. I had been in it. Instantly I was surrounded by individuals who

raked me fore and aft with questions. I could not endure it; my

nervous energy, I realized, was exhausted, and having given a brief

outline of the disaster, I fled down the saloon stairs.

My sole desire was to rest; the need of unconsciousness, of

forgetfulness, was imperious upon me; I had had too many experiences

during the last few hours. I stretched myself on the saloon cushions,

making a pillow of the jewel-box.

"Shall we start soon?" I murmured to a steward.

"Yes, sir, in another five minutes. Weather's moderating, sir."

Other passengers were in the saloon, and more followed. As this would

be the first steamer to leave Dover that day, there was a good number

of voyagers on board, in spite of adverse conditions. I heard people

talking, and the splash of waves against the vessel's sides, and then

I went to sleep. Nothing could have kept me awake.




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