Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-24
CHAPTER XIX.

much as he did during that month of Au-
gust. He had freed himself from Cammar-
leigh: he had put away his love. He
went to Ostend fer the rocco. Dinard
for all that was Partisan and chic and
had intended to go to Homburg for the
cure Then. feeling somewhat of
wreck he changed his mind regards
Homburg-which with all its attractions.
was hardly the place in which to recup-
crate He did not wish to return to Cam
marleigh Abbey and produce an unfavor-
able impression on Sybil. who was very
sensitive to external influences.
Anthony absolutely free from
prejudice. and he revived himself by
cure which he had been told was magical.
He went to d tiny sanatorium in Hamp-
shire It was presided over by a kindly
old doctor who was considered a crank
because he would persist in seeking
health inst lad of disease. Anthony had
seen an advertisement of it somewhere.
and had graSped the virtue of the met nod
at once He bathed at dawn in clear run
ming streams: he lay all day naked In the
open air, and allowed the sun to search
him through and through. At night:
wrapped in a blanket, he slept out of
doors. dreaming of Sybil. or ecstatically
enjoying the sense of publication which
comes of lone communing with the stars
He gave himself completely up to the
ra pture of this embrace with nature. for.
munty of earnest devotaes who gathered
round the breakfast table:
"Who should really understand natura
so we'll as this sin-stained child of the
City Of Dreadful Night? Or, to cor
rect the quotation: the lily of Dreadful
Nights
Anthony said so many strange things
that the motley little group of faudists
were delighted that they In their turn
had an opportunity of sitting i'm judgment
on somebody for want OF mental equl-
librium. and they decided with acclama-
tion that he was mad.
"Mad!' said the old gentleman who
lived corncOb week
Mad" agreed the Scotch lady-poet nss
in sandals, her angularity positively rat
Ting with judicial excitement.
A gentleman attired in cellular knick
erbockers and a shirt worn open to the
waist and with rolling eye. which sug
gest I'd the need for strait waistcoat.
was deeply concerned for .\nthony's
sanity.
The cure. however was as nc had been
promised magical. and he returned to
London brown as nut. and sweet and
fresh as the morning. and with the
haunting melodies of wood fairy and river
sprte ringing in his ears.
He arrived at Cammarleigh Abbey a
few days before his lordshp. In this
there lay not Difference. but a desire to
have a free hand in completing all his ar
-angements. He had kept great many
=
ancient refectory, which had never been
; very much altered. was destined to wit
. ness scene without parallel in the an
: nails of the abbey. Anthony was going to
have 1t made into a theat2r. and there
; was to be gala performance. 1t was
largely with eye to this that he had
! had the electric light installed during the
| time he had been away. He was not 60
ing to have any amateur performance of
, an archaic comedy, or AN incompetent
. presentation Of some drawing room
. drama in vogue at the moment, The
!. performance would be given entirely to
! crafty his own vanity and ambition. He
. was going to play Hamlet largely sup
: ported by professionals while the young
; folk of the county could be made very
! useful as supers. His own costume he
had been mea sured for before he left
town Cammarleigh disliked the theater:
. he said 1t was unreal-iust if anybody
. was prepared to contend that it was not
. Then you disapprove Of art neral
. ly?" said Anthony.
. Considering that Cammarleigh held
what he thought to be great reputation
; as a connoisseur, the remark certainly
; sounded almost insulting.
; What l mean is continued Anthony
. that you are non-conformist at heart
You cannot conceive a love of art for
arts sake; in fact, you really think it all
. quite wicked and something which will
have to be atOned for on the day of judg
; ment Mind you. don't say you are not
; right. I have often had such feel ng
; myself Perhaps we are born into the
; world to overcome art We shall find
. that the artists are the goats and the rest
of mankind the sheep.
How much more of this sort of thing
, am to endure?" said Cammarleigh, ad-
. dressing space.
. NO" continued Anthony. you know a
. Claude from copy. and you might pos
: sibly be better artist If you did not:
; but your real pleasure in art consists in
3 f,N naI III
cernment. Shall We leave it at that?"
> Il don't disapprove of elevated art"
said Cammarleigh acidly.
elevated art. You will begin to talk
! of moral art next. I suppose you don't
! think there is any elevated dramatic
. art?"
II can conceive some performances of
. Shakespeare which might be elevatng."
. II wonder If you will think my Ham
. let elevating?' And Anthony gazed at
: Cammarleigh thoughtfrlly. as was his
: wont when he was preparing to listen
imrassively to storm which he did not
! intend should turn him from his purpose.
For a moment Cammarleigh thought
. that Anthony was anxious to return to
. the stage. and that he was limiting at a
. compromise by which he would be re-
. leved of his presence. He became quite
. genial. and said. pleasantly:
. Il am sure your Hamlet would not be
|. uninteresting. You have always struck
. me as possessing an instinct for matters
of psychology and culture-if at your age
: you are necessarily deficient in reading -
II believe answered Anthony, imper-
tinently. for praise from Cammarleigh
! did not arouse the best side of his nature.
that In time you will achieve very fair
= imitation of my conversational style.
Your touch is somewhat heavy at
present.
you have the ingratitude of a gutter
snipe." snapped Cammarlefgh
How on earth do you know anything
about the gratitude of gutter-snipes? But
the point is that you are going to see my
Hamlet in fortnight's time"
''WheTe-in the village schoolroom -
And Cammarleigh laughed unpIeasantly
as he had habit of doing when he CON
crived he had scored point.
mo, here, in the refectory. 1t has made
a charming theater. and the large gallery
will give 1t quite the right effect. 1t is
curiously enough. more square than OBJ
long
But Cammarleigh was out of the room
and flying down the corridors. Anthony
followed him leisurely. He heard howl
had not realized that If the refectory had
been made into theater 1t could not pos
sibly be the big, empty place it usually
was. He had banged himself with all the
impetus OF real loss of temper against
the short. improvised staircase Witch led
on to the stage from the back
Anthony made his way to the other end
of the refectory.
Wait moment and LII turn on all the
lights. You can't possibly see the effect