human
Don't shoot! Mercy, mercy!
gpt
Allston, he said,
human
Wait! Wattles, old man, I didn't know what I was doing. The fact is, I have been drinking pretty hard lately, but I shall be all right in a day or two.
gpt
You don't expect to get back in my employ again, do you?
human
No, no, I don't. All I ask is that you will not utterly ruin all my chances for life by having me arrested. Things look bad enough for me without that.
gpt
Very well, Farley, I'll let you off this time, but I warn you to keep out of my way in the future.
human
If I keep straight and show you that I am at my best we may do business together again, eh, Wattles?
gpt
No, sir; I shall never have anything more to do with you.
human
Perhaps you'll think better of that. You haven't had time to fill my place yet.
gpt
I've got a better man for your place than you ever were,
human
Who is he?
gpt
There he stands;
human
That kid?
gpt
That young gentleman,
human
So you are an advance agent, are you, bub?
gpt
So it seems,
human
Well, you won't remain one long; I will see to that. Take my advice and quit the business before the temperature gets too high. See? Yes, I think you do. I don't propose----
gpt
Look here, interrupted Mr. Wattles,
human
I've had just about enough of this. Are you going to get out or are you not?
gpt
I am, he said.
human
Ta, ta, Wattles! Ta, ta, my young friend! But we shall meet again, and don't you forget, either of you, to paste that fact in your hat.
gpt
The impudent scoundrel! exclaimed Mr. Wattles.
human
I let him off too easy. If I am not mistaken, we shall have more trouble with him.
gpt
Never mind about him, interrupted Al.
human
Do you know that it is almost eight o'clock, Mr. Wattles?
gpt
Good gracious! So it is! And Mrs. Anderson----
human
It's all right.
gpt
She will appear?
human
Sure.
gpt
Allston, he said,
human
That's just what you want for an advance agent, isn't it?
gpt
Yes. Did she come with you?
human
No, but she is probably here by this time.
gpt
How did you do it?
human
I'll tell you some other time, sir.
gpt
That's right; we have no time to waste in talk now. I'll go and see if she has arrived. I should be in a nice fix if she changed her mind again.
human
She won't, Mr. Wattles.
gpt
Well, mused Al,
human
It's all right, my boy,
gpt
You haven't seen her yet?
human
No, but I've seen Perley, and he tells me she is here, and is dressing for the part. He thinks that she is going to make a big hit.
gpt
Of course she will, laughed Al;
human
You know something of the world,
gpt
Not as much as I would like to. But, seriously, sir, Mrs. Anderson is not such a bad actress, and I shouldn't wonder if she did make a hit.
human
She'll have to be a second Ristori, if she does in that part, grinned Mr. Wattles.
gpt
There's nothing to it; but, for all that, the woman who has been playing it is wild because I have taken it away from her for one night.
human
Have you explained the circumstances to her?
gpt
Have I? I've talked myself nearly deaf in doing so, but it was of no use.
human
She must be very thick-headed if she can't see how you are placed.
gpt
My dear boy, a woman will never see anything she doesn't want to see. But never mind about all that. I don't care particularly whether the woman is suited or not; I can fill her place at a few hours' notice. And now I must go and see how things are going. I have a good stage manager, but I have to do a lot of the work myself, for all that. And I must acknowledge that I do feel a little nervous at letting an untrained amateur appear in the piece without a rehearsal. Come with me, and we'll see if everything is going smoothly.
human
Stage Door. No Admittance.
gpt
Well, Sparkley, how does everything go?
human
Badly enough, was the reply.
gpt
There's been a big row, and your society amateur refuses to appear.
human
Well, he said, with an air of stony resignation,
gpt
What's the matter?
human
Why, replied Sparkley,
gpt
Miss Hollingsworth, who has been playing the part that Mrs. Anderson is billed for, has been here, and has had an interview with her successor, and got her so worked up that she absolutely refuses to appear.
human
Why, I told the woman that she needn't come at all to-night!
gpt
Well, she's here as large as life.
human
Why did you let her in, Sparkley?
gpt
I couldn't very well refuse her admittance; she is a member of the company.
human
That's so.
gpt
Besides, I had no idea that she was going to raise a row. I think that Farley was at the bottom of the business; I saw him talking to her outside just before she came in.
human
You did? That explains the whole thing. Well, I'm just going to let things take their course.