PROFESSION AND THE MAN.

Evening Star, Issue 11662, 24 September 1901, Page 8

PROFESSION AND THE MAN.

"I have simply married a profession!" And she clasped her hands and looked gently indignant. He! smiled as he smoothed his clean-shaven faco with a caressing hand. He thought, it was subtle, flattery. "Say you have married into the profession, beloved," and ho held out his hand gracefully towards her. She ignored it softly. "Even now you are rehearsing your third act with. Julia Denton," she said. Ho looked a uttie agitated, and appeared t* bo on the point of speaking, but restrained lumself with a sigh. Then ho leaned over the piano where she was seated. " Carina, if I tell you you are the whole world and heaven beyond'to me, will you believe it?"' But us he caught sight of his reflection in a silver-framed mirror he nastily changed his attitude. This fresh posture, however, prevented him from making further use of the glass, and tho anxiety in ms eyes as lie gazed at his wife touched her. He was rather pleased she misread the look: it ga.ve a tender cadence to her voice as sho murmured: "I should belicvo because I wanted to belicvo it. but " Sho broke off and let her hands fall suddenly with a little discordant, crash on the kov.s. ' Irving Euston straightened himself. It was such picturesque joy to bun to woo his wife. She was so picturesque herself—small and fair, with eyes like lakes—no, stars, stclla della mare—ami he—lie never thought of her without lumself —such a. fme contrast-! Tall, dark, commanding, her—well, he really might say it, she had said it herself often—hor god. He hold out his hands liko a munificent deity. "But. ? Shall there be reservation between us ? " She rose and met his eyes as she folded her hands together. " I was wondering when the Man died." she said: and ,they gazed sadlv into each other's eyes. "Or was he ever bom? - '' "Alas! dear, are we not all simply marionettes, pulled by some mysterious fate across life's stage-'" And absorbed bv the dramatic reflection. Euston bent his head in thought aud took a few strides in f,ho direction of a long mirror. The room abounded in them. Carina sank dejectedly into a low chair by the fire. It was impossible to reach him. His heart, his mind, his soul, were all extinct. There remained only the Profession. His honor? Could it bo reached by that? Or her honor; would he dramtisc that, and act the outraged husband on the domestic stage ? •She bent her head on her hands, and the firelight shone on her hair. "Why grieve when Fate compels?" ho said, gently, 35 he moved slowly up the room again. "We are as happy as* universal imperfection permits of happiness in imperfect mortals. Bnileau hxs said '' Sho raised her head. "Thai evening I first wore that, white chiffon teagown you said I «-.i? perfect—just six weeks ago." "He stepped behind her chair, and mechanically kneaded the cushions that were piled on the hack of it. "Yes, that was the first night of Rruning's play. It was divine, that second act. The love scene brought down the house." Carina rose, and drawing herseh? np stared angrily at him. " Tlren that whs only a rehearsal, too." sho said, scornfully; and before he could answer she added, quickly: " What are yon playing to-night? " Buskin's eyes shone. '" A quaint little tragedy calkd ' Love Lies Bleeding.' I wish—upon my word, it is ten thousand pities Julia Denton could not have seen yonr attitude in the chair by the fire. Perhaps, after all, she is hardly petite enough for such a posture." " T fear I make a. poor understudy for hear." Carina's voice trembled a little, but he 65d not notice it. "On the contrary, it is sho who is yotir understudy. She catches very quickly at my suggestions. Now lier sobbing in her sleep was a perfect imitation of you, only the exquisite grace of your abandon in sleep was lost, because she had to do it on a sofa." He did not notice Carina's face. She. was hardly breathing. Her eyes fastened themselves in awful lustre on his face. "When did I sob in my sleep ? " she asked at last, in a curiouly still voice. " Sunday night, my Carina- It was the most divine thing I ever heard or said. It would have made our fortunes on the stage. Still, I must say Miss Denton caught the idea beautifully." When he 'came home late that night and let himself into the little flat, he sighed that a man of his sensitive genius should bare so many stairs to dimb after a hard night's work. As he. sat, down to the supper table he noticed a cmmpled paper beside his plate. For a long time he sat with it in his hand, staring at it, and his face grew grey and old. Then, from habit, whenever he was experiencing a. new emotion, he turned to the mirror beside him. "Drowned! " —she was going to drown herself! " you!" he shouted, shaking his fist at his grey, haggard reflection. '" yon, you miserable foo!. you shall drown with her!" And seizing his hat he flung himself out. of the room. Thoro was a soft rustic- from the window curtains, and Carina rushed into his arms. " Oh, you are a man," she sobbed hysterically, as they clung to en oh other. "T wanted to see if you would act when you heard. I was dead." " ! why did you frighten me?" he mattered hoarsely, holding her tight-. " I wanted to know if yon were a man or a profession, and as soon as I heard you say ' ' I knew." B. R. S.