"
Julian was glad when at length he could take his leave. Waymark
received him with a pleased smile, and much questioning.
"Why did you keep it such a secret? I shall try my hand at a play
some day or other, but, as you can guess, the material will scarcely
be sought in Gibbon. It will be desperately modern, and possibly not
altogether in accordance with the views of the Lord Chamberlain.
What's the time? Four o'clock. We'll have a cup of coffee and then
fall to. I'm eager to hear your 'deep-chested music,' your 'hollow
oes and aes.'"
The reading took some three hours; Waymark smoked a vast number of
pipes the while, and was silent till the close. Then he got up from
his easy-chair, took a step forward, and held out his hand. His face
shone with the frankest enthusiasm. He could not express himself
with sufficient vehemence. Julian sat with the manuscript rolled up
in his hands, on his face a glow of delight.
"It's very kind of you to speak in this way," he faltered at length.
"Kind! How the deuce should I speak? But come, we will have this off
to a publisher's forth with. Have you any ideas for the next work?"
"Yes; but so daring that they hardly bear putting into words.
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