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Epilogue

Extract from the Evening Shout:

We regret to announce the death of Lady Westholme, M.P., the result of a tragicaccident. Lady Westholme, who was fond of travelling in out-of-the-waycountries, always took a small revolver with her. She was cleaning this when itwent off accidentally and killed her. Death was instantaneous. The deepestsympathy will be felt for Lord Westholme, etc., etc.

On a warm June evening five years later Sarah Boynton and her husband sat in the stalls of aLondon theatre. The play was Hamlet. Sarah gripped Raymond’s arm as Ophelia’s words camefloating over the footlights:

How should I your true love know

From another one?

By his cockle hat and staff,

And his sandal shoon.

He is dead and gone, lady,

He is dead and gone;

At his head a grass-green turf;

At his heels a stone.

O, ho!

A lump rose in Sarah’s throat. That exquisite¹ witless beauty, that lovely unearthly smile of onegone beyond trouble and grief to a region where only a floating mirage² was truth…Sarah said to herself: ‘She’s lovely…’

That haunting, lilting voice, always beautiful in tone, but now disciplined and modulated³ to bethe perfect instrument.

Sarah said with decision as the curtain fell at the end of the act: ‘Jinny’s a great actress—a great—great actress!’

Later they sat round a supper-table at the Savoy. Ginevra, smiling, remote, turned to the beardedman by her side.

‘I was good, wasn’t I, Theodore?’

‘You were wonderful, chérie.’

A happy smile floated on her lips.

She murmured: ‘You always believed in me—you always knew I could do great things—swaymultitudes…’

At a table not far away the Hamlet of the evening was saying gloomily:

‘Her mannerisms! Of course people like it just at first—but what I say is, it’s not Shakespeare.

Did you see how she ruined my exit?’

Nadine, sitting opposite Ginevra, said: ‘How exciting it is to be here in London with Jinnyacting Ophelia and being so famous!’

Ginevra said softly: ‘It was nice of you to come over.’

‘A regular family party,’ said Nadine, smiling as she looked round. Then she said to Lennox: ‘Ithink the children might go to the matinée, don’t you? They’re quite old enough, and they do sowant to see Aunt Jinny on the stage!’

Lennox, a sane⁴, happy-looking Lennox with humorous eyes, lifted his glass.

‘To the newly-weds, Mr and Mrs Cope.’

Jefferson Cope and Carol acknowledged the toast.

‘The unfaithful swain!’ said Carol, laughing. ‘Jeff, you’d better drink to your first love as she’ssitting right opposite you.’

Raymond said gaily⁵: ‘Jeff’s blushing. He doesn’t like being reminded of the old days.’

His face clouded suddenly.

Sarah touched his hand with hers, and the cloud lifted. He looked at her and grinned.

‘Seems just like a bad dream!’