"I've no doubt I shall," said Annie. "Did you make the adaptation yourself,
Mr. Brandreth?"

"Well, yes, I did," Mr. Brandreth modestly admitted. "It's been a good deal
of work, but it's been a pleasure too. You know how that is, Miss Kilburn,
in your charities."

"_Don't_ speak of my charities, Mr. Brandreth. I'm not a charitable
person."

"You won't get people to believe _that_" said Mr. Brandreth.
"Everybody knows how much good you do. But, as I was saying, my idea was to
give a notion of the whole play in a series of passages or tableaux. Some
of my friends think I've succeeded so well in telling the story, don't you
know, without a change of scene, that they're urging me to publish my
arrangement for the use of out-of-door theatricals."

"I should think it would be a very good idea," said Annie. "I suppose Mr.
Chapley would do it?"

"Well, I don't know--I don't know," Mr. Brandreth answered, with a note of
trouble in his voice. "I'm afraid not," he added sadly. "Miss Kilburn, I've
been put in a very unfair position by Miss Northwick's changing her mind
about Juliet, after the part had been offered to Miss Chapley. I've been
made the means of a seeming slight to Miss Chapley, when, if it hadn't been
for the cause, I'd rather have thrown up the whole affair. She gave up the
part instantly when she heard that Miss Northwick wished to change her
mind, but all the same I know--."