THE "FIRST NIGHT" PERFORMANCE The curtain fell amidst a roar of applause, and the lights flashed up over the auditorium once more.

It was the first night performance of "Mrs.Fleming's Husband," and the house was packed with the usual crowd of first-nighters, critics, and members of "the" profession who were anxious to see Miss de Gervais in the new part Max Errington had created for her.
Diana and Joan Stair were in a box, escorted only by Jerry, since Max had firmly refused to come down to the theatre for the first performance.
"I can't stand first nights," he had said.

"At least, not of my own plays." And not even Diana's persuasions had availed to move him from this decision.
Joan was ecstatic in her praise.
"Isn't Adrienne simply wonderful ?" she exclaimed, as the music of the _entr'acte_ stole out from the hidden orchestra.
"'M, yes." Diana's reply lacked enthusiasm.
Joan, if she could not boast great powers of intuition, was dowered with a keen observation, and she had not spent a week at Lilac Lodge without putting two and two together and making four of them.

She had noticed a great change in Diana.

The girl was moody and unusually silent; her gay good spirits had entirely vanished, and more than once Joan had caught her regarding her husband with a curious mixture of resentment and contempt in her eyes.