The Man in Possession — page 128: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE MAN IN POSSESSION. 123 worthy spinster’s brilliance was cut short by her add- ing, confidentially, ‘‘It’s not myself that said that though. “Twas a sentence out of a play or a book, I can’t remember which, but ‘tis very true for all that.” | Kate agreed that it was, and then resumed her for- mer occupation of watching the guests, who were now being ushered into their seats with a celerity and an absence of all confusion that spoke well for the management. The curtain drew up about half an hour after the appointed time, merely as an illustration of amateur indifference to any such trifle as punctuality. The aid of professional scene-shifters had set the stage in a highly creditable manner, and the realism afforded to the first act by the introduction of real brandies and sodas and cigarettes carried it through most bril- liantly. If one of the characters was at a loss fora word, or felt a thrill of nervousness, or became con- scious that his ‘‘ part” had suddenly faded into blankness, he covered his confusion or his helpless- ness by saying—‘‘ Well, give mea light, old chappie,” or, ‘‘ Have a brandy and soda, old man?” and the audience murmured that it really was ‘‘ wonderfully natural,”—as no doubt it was—because it had noth- ing to do with the play. Kate’s appreciation was so intense as to be almost hysterical, especially when Sir Wilfred appeared and looked hopelessly ‘‘ floored” by the applause that greeted his first speech, which consisted of a sentence something under six words. But, as Tom Rivers ex- plained afterwards, ‘‘it wasn’t somuch the words as COMicloe (Sri C(O)