I feel myself as much of a brute as ever, but I see that the only thing I can do is to hold my tongue about it.' To which Kendal heartily agreed.
A few days afterwards the newspapers gave a prominent place to reports of Miss Bretherton's farewell performance.

It had been a great social event.
Half the distinguished people in London were present, led by royalty.
London, in fact, could hardly bear to part with its favourite, and compliments, flowers, and farewells showered upon her.

Kendal, who had not meant to go at the time when tickets were to be had, tried about the middle of the week after the Oxford Sunday to get a seat, but found it utterly impossible.

He might have managed it by applying to her through Edward Wallace, but that he was unwilling to do, for various reasons.
He told himself that, after all, it was better to let her little note and his answer close his relations with her for the present.

Everywhere else but in the theatre she might still regard him as her friend; but there they could not but be antagonistic in some degree one to another, and not even intellectually did Kendal wish just now to meet her on a footing of antagonism.
So, when Saturday night came, he passed the hours of Miss Bretherton's triumph at a ministerial evening party, where it seemed to him that the air was full of her name and that half the guests were there as a _pis-aller,_ because the _Calliope_ could not receive them.