as disposed to be utterly unreserved, crude. Brought up in stage surroundings she had heard undiscussable things talked of openly all her

er own attitude toward him, she would have had to show herself in a

ver dream of employing when speaking of his wife to his most intimate friend. Alexandra, except under extraordinary stress, would be as secretive as a man. To discuss sexual emotions or indulge in speculation about them with another girl was a thing qu

e had lived a healthy, normal existence, met men of her own class who would no more have dreamt of thinking irreverently of her than of their own mothers or sisters. She was aware that strong passions, illicit unions, and trouble and mis

e girls in their common dressing room. But it made her ashamed to be a woman, a being of the same sex. These girls thought of men only in one way. The men whom they spoke of as their "boys" or their "friends" were c

, a father who waited at the stage-door every night, a comfortable home. They had been dressed well by their people. Though in the chorus, they had never known its strain and stress, for they had n

ted for her first important part-that of a courtesan. An actress sufficiently convincing in the role could not be found, till at last the author of the play exclaimed in exaspera

t of the many capable actors and actresses-some of them more than capable-who were touring the provinces year after year, and would wear out

t to lose sight of ambition's pinnacle while she was forced to dwell in the plains of penury. But as r

e-doors to see if there was a chance of her being taken on. Very often they did not meet till after the show in the evening. For the first two nights Alexa