She soon discovered that play-goers were not greatly beguiled through the eye, for the stage-settings changed but little, and the details of a scene were simplified by leaving them to the imagination. Neither did the music furnished by a few sad-looking musicians who appeared to have been entrapped in a small balcony above the stage appeal to her, for it was a thing the least said about the soonest mended.
The actors wore no especial dress or makeup during these rehearsals, save Darby, and he to grow better accustomed to such garments as befitted the maid of Capulet, disported himself throughout in a c.u.mbersome flowing gown of white corduroy that at times clung about him as might a winding sheet, and again dragged behind like a melancholy flag of truce. Yet with the auburn love-locks shading his fair oval face, now clean shaven and tinted like a girl"s, and his clear-toned voice, even Debora admitted, he was not so far amiss in the role.
What struck her most from the moment he came upon the stage was his wonderful likeness to herself.
"I" faith," she half whispered, "did I not know that Deb Thornbury were here--an" I have to pinch my arm to make that real--I should have no shadow of a doubt but that Deb Thornbury were there, a player with the rest, though I never could make so sad a tangle of any gown however bad its cut--an" no woman e"er cut that one. Darby doth lose himself in it as if "twere a maze, and yet withal doth, so far, the part fair justice."
When Don Sherwood came upon the boards the girl"s eyes grew brilliant and dark. Darby had but spoken truth regarding this man"s fascinating personality. He was a strong, straight-limbed fellow, and his face was such as it pleased the people to watch, though it was not of perfect cast nor strictly beautiful; but he was happy in possessing a certain magnetism which was the one thing needful.
Yet it was not to manner or stage presence that Sherwood owed his success, but rather to his voice, for there was no other could compare to it in the Lord Chamberlain"s Company. Truly the G.o.ds had been good to this player--for first of all their gifts is such a golden-toned voice as he had brought into this world of sorry discords. Never had Debora listened to anything like it as it thrilled the stillness of the empty house with the pa.s.sionate words of Romeo.
She followed the tragedy intensely from one scene to another till the ending that stirs all tender hearts to tears.
[Ill.u.s.tration: She followed the tragedy intensely]
The lines of the different characters seemed branded upon her brain, and she remembered them without effort and knew them quite by heart.
Sometimes Darby, struggling with the distressing complications of his detested dress, would hesitate over some word or break a sentence, thereby marring the perfect beauty of it, and while Sherwood would smile and shrug his shoulders lightly as though as to say, "Have I not enough to put up with, that thou art what thou art, but thou must need"st bungle the words!" Then would Debora clench her hands and tap her little foot against the soft rugs.
"Oh! I would I had but the chance to speak his lines," she said to herself at such times. "Prithee "twould be in different fashion! "Tis not his fault, in sooth, for no living man could quite understand or say the words as they should be said, but none the less it doth sorely try my patience."
So the enchanted hours pa.s.sed and none came to disturb the girl, or discover her till the last morning, which was Sat.u.r.day. The rehearsal had ended, and Debora was waiting for Darby. The theatre looked gray and deserted. At the back of the stage the great velvet traverses through which the actors made their exits and entrances, hung in dark folds, sombre as the folds of a pall. A chill struck to her heart, for she seemed to be the only living thing in the building, and Darby did not come.
She grew at last undecided whether to wait longer or risk going across the river, and so home alone, when a quick step came echoing along the pa.s.sage that led to the box. In a moment a man had gathered back the hangings and entered. He started when he saw the slight figure standing in the uncertain light, then took a step towards her.
The girl did not move but looked up into his face with an expression of quick, glad recognition, then she leaned a little towards him and smiled. "Romeo!" she exclaimed softly. "Romeo!" and as though compelled to it by some strange impulse, followed his name with the question that has so much of pathos, "Wherefore," she said, "Wherefore art thou Romeo?"
The man laughed a little as he let the curtains drop behind him.
"Why, an" I be Romeo," he answered in that rare voice of his, full and sweet as a golden bell, "then who art thou? Art not Juliet? Nay, pardon me, mademoiselle," his tone changing, "I know whom thou art beyond question, by thy likeness to Thornbury. "Fore Heaven! "tis a very singular likeness, and thou must be, in truth, his sister. I would ask your grace for coming in with such scant announcement. I thought the box empty. The young Duke of Nottingham lost a jewelled pin here yestere"en--or fancied so--and sent word to me to have the place searched. Ah! there it is glittering above you in the ta.s.sel to the right."
"I have seen naught but the stage," she said, "and now await my brother. Peradventure he did wrong to bring me here, but I so desired to see the play that I persuaded and teased him withal till he could no longer deny me. "Twas not over-pleasant being hidden i" the box, but "twas the only way Darby would hear of. Moreover," with a little proud gesture, "I have the greater interest in this new tragedy that I be well acquainted with Master William Shakespeare himself."
"That is to be fortunate indeed," Sherwood answered, looking into her eyes, "and I fancy thou could"st have but little difficulty in persuading a man to anything. I hold small blame for Thornbury."
Debora laughed merrily. ""Tis a pretty speech," she said, "an" of a fine London flavour." Then uneasily, "I would my brother came; "tis marvellous unlike him to leave me so."
"I will tell thee somewhat," said Sherwood, after a moment"s thought.
"A party o" the players went off to "The Castle Inn"--"tis hard by--an"
I believe their intention was to drink success to the play. Possibly they will make short work and drink it in one b.u.mper, but I cannot be sure--they may drink it in more."
""Tis not like my brother to tarry thus," the girl answered. "I wonder at him greatly."
"Trouble nothing over it," said Sherwood; "indeed, he went against his will; they were an uproarious lot o" roisterers, and carried him off w.i.l.l.y-nilly, fairly by main force, now I think on"t. Perchance thou would"st rather I left thee alone, mademoiselle?" he ended, as by afterthought.
""Twould be more seemly," she answered, the colour rising in her face.
"I do protest to that," said the man quickly. "And _I_ found thee out--here alone--why, marry, so might _another_."
"An" why not another as well?" Debora replied, lifting her brows; "an"
why not another full as well as thee, good Sir Romeo? There is no harm in a maid being here. But I would that Darby came," she added.
"We will give him license of five minutes longer," he returned. "Come tell me, what dost think o" the play?"
""Tis a very wonder," said Debora; "more beautiful each time I see it."
Then irrelevantly, "Dost really fancy in me so great a likeness to my brother?"
"Thou art like him truly, and yet no more like him than I am like--well, say the apothecary, though "tis not a good instance."
"Oh! the poor apothecary!" she cried, laughing. "Prithee, hath he been starved to fit the part? Surely never before saw I one so altogether made of bones."
"Ay!" said Sherwood. "He is a very herring. I wot heaven forecasted we should need such a man, an" made him so."
"Think"st thou that?" she said absently. "O heart o" me! Why doth Darby tarry. Perchance some accident may have happened him or he hath fallen ill! Dost think so?"
The player gave a short laugh, but looked as suddenly grave.
"Do not vex thyself with such imaginings, sweet mistress Thornbury. He hath not come to grief, I give thee my word for it. There is no youth that know"th London better than that same brother o" thine, an" I do not fear that he is ill."
"Why, then, I will not wait here longer," she returned, starting. "I can take care o" myself an" it be London ten times over. "Tis a simple matter to cross in the ferry to Southwark on the one we so oft have taken; the ferry-man knoweth me already, an" I fear nothing. Moreover, many maids go to and fro alone."
"Thou shalt not," he said. "Wait till I see if the coast be clear. By the Saints! "twill do Thornbury no harm to find thee gone. He doth need a lesson," ended the man in a lower tone, striding down the narrow pa.s.sage-way that led to the green-room.
"Come," he said, returning after a few moments, "we have the place to ourselves, and there is not a soul between Blackfriars an" the river house, I believe, save an old stage carpenter, a fellow short o" wit, but so over-fond of the theatre he scarce ever leaves it. Come!"
As the girl stepped eagerly forward to join him, Sherwood entered the box again.
"Nay," on second thought--"wait. Before we go, I pray thee, tell me thy name."
""Tis Debora," she said softly; "just Debora."
"Ah!" he answered, in a tone she had heard him use in the play--pa.s.sing tender and pa.s.sionate. "Well, it suiteth me not; the rest may call thee Debora, an" they will--but I, I have a fancy to think of thee by another t.i.tle, one sweeter a thousand-fold!" So leaning towards her and looking into her face with compelling eyes that brought hers up to them, "Dost not see, an" my name be Romeo, thine must be----?"
"Nay then," she cried, "I will not hear, I will not hear; let me pa.s.s, I pray thee."
"Pardon, mademoiselle," returned the player with grave, quick courtesy, and holding back the curtain, "I would not risk thy displeasure."
They went out together down the little twisted hall into the green-room where the dried rushes that strewed the floor crackled beneath their feet; through the empty tiring rooms, past the old half-mad stage carpenter, who smiled and nodded at them, and so by the hidden door out into the pale early spring sunshine. Then down the steep stairs to Blackfriars Landing where the ferryman took them over the river. They did not say a word to each other, and the girl watched with unfathomable eyes the little curling line of flashing water the boat left behind, though it may be she did not see it. As for Sherwood, he watched only her face with the crisp rings of gold-red hair blown about it from out the border of her fur-edged hood. He had forgotten altogether a promise given to dine with some good fellows at d.i.c.k Tarleton"s ordinary, and only knew that there was a velvety sea-scented wind blowing up the river wild and free; that the sky was of such a wondrous blue as he had never seen before; that across from him in the old weather-worn ferry was a maid whose face was the one thing worth looking at in all the world.
When the boat b.u.mped against the slippery landing, the player sprang ash.o.r.e and gave Debora his hand that she might not miss the step.
There was a little amused smile in his eyes at her long silence, but he would not help her break it.
Together they went up and through the park where buds on tree and bush were showing creamy white through the brown, and underfoot the gra.s.s hinted of coming green. Then along the Southwark common past the theatres. Upon all the road Sherwood was watchful lest they should run across some of his company.
To be seen alone and at mid-day with a new beauty was to court endless questions and much bantering.
For some reason Thornbury had been silent regarding his sister, and the man felt no more willing to publish his chance meeting with Debora.
He glanced often at her as though eager for some word or look, but she gave him neither. Her lips were pressed firmly together, for she was struggling with many feelings, one of which was anger against Darby.