"
"You have paid it the highest it admits," was the reply. "You have let it
deceive you." Sir Charles continued in a more solemn tone: "Pray be
warned. Why is it every man of intellect loves an actress once in his
life, and no man of sense ever did it twice?"
This last hit, coming after the carte and tierce we have described,
brought an expression of pain to Mr. Vane's face. He said abruptly:
"Excuse me, I desire to be alone for half an hour."
Machiavel bowed; and, instead of taking offense, said, in a tone full of
feeling: "Ah! I give you pain! But you are right; think it calmly over a
while, and you will see I advise you well."
He then made for the theater, and the weakish personage he had been
playing upon walked down to the river, almost ran, in fact. He wanted to
be out of sight.
He got behind some houses, and then his face seemed literally to break
loose from confinement; so anxious, sad, fearful and bitter were the
expressions that coursed each other over that handsome countenance.
What is the meaning of these hot and cold fits? It is not Sir Charles who
has the power to shake Mr. Vane so without some help from within. _There
is something wrong about this man!_
CHAPTER VI.
MACHIAVEL entered the green-room, intending to wait for Mrs. Woffington,
and carry out the second part of his plan.
He knew that weak minds cannot make head against ridicule, and with this
pickax he proposed to clear the way, before he came to grave, sensible,
business love with the lady.
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