"How empty the city sounds on Sunday," Lucy remarked as she removed Vida's tray from the bed. "I miss the bustle of last Sunday aftemooon. At three o'clock then we were going crazy with light rehearsals and wondering if there'd be an audience. I paid the last bill yesterday. We took in $3,108.50. That was almost a sellout, except for the hundred tickets for the press. I never knew there were so many newspapers, New Jersey, Yonkers, Long Island, Connecticut, dozens of magazines that don't even review but may publish a picture sometime. Then fifty for Ilona, and oh yes, fifty for friends of the cast. Lucky the Langtry's so big. The expenses were $4,600.00, so it cost me $1,500.00, and I have the ballet costumes in case I ever do it again. Everything could have been worse."
"And then I owe you several hundred dollars. How much exactly?" Vida asked.
"Not a thing. If you hadn't been busy working on the recital you'd have had time to think of yourself earlier."
"I won't have it."
"Then you'll have to wait until I remember. You see, things like that have to be paid cash in advance and I was too excited to think about a little thing like money. You certainly scared us, even the doctor. Whv didn't vou tell me earlier?"
"I was ashamed to admit my ignorance and that I had gone into—something like that—without knowing what it was all about."
Lucy looked at Vida, lying there so still, her eyes closed. "Were you very much in love, dear?" she asked gently.
"That's the worst of it. I didn't know what I felt about him except that I did like being with him when we were out together. And then, though I know this must seem childish to you, he made me feel I had been unfair in leading him on and I thought how right you were about my knowing only about love second-hand—from reading—and so—well—"
"Don't say another word, you're not to get upset. Say to yourself 'I'm glad it's over, and I've learned this much anyway.' There's the phone—I'll answer it in the other room."
Lucy crossed her fingers and wished for a pleasant surprise to lift her up from her feeling of letdown on this cupid-clouded spring day.
"That was only Clem," she said, returning. "He and Semy wanted to take us to Crooner Jones' new supper club. I said you had the flu, and I couldn't go either. I told everyone you have the flu and not to come and catch it. The girls in the shows always say they have appendicitis if they have to miss a few days, so if I said you
