was heard, and as the curtain drew up a flash of vivid lightning was seen, followed by a loud clap of thunder. Onstage was the interior of a village barber’s shop, fitted up with the usual paraphernalia.
Duff enjoyed all three acts of the melodrama, feeling a sense of pride in that his kinsmen were indeed the stars of the performance. After escaping many perils and dangers, Andrew and Rosanna were now the last two actors on the stage.
Andrew (as SIR GILBERT): Look up— look up, dearest! With his own hands he has broken the fetter, and you are mine now,
Rosanna (as FLORENCE):
The curtain came down to thunderous applause. Then it rose again so that the players could take their curtain call, in groups for the lesser players, then singly for the more principal roles. Finally Rosanna curtsied, then left the stage for Andrew, who bowed, then held out his hand to call Rosanna back so they could take the final bow together as, once more, the curtain descended.
Duff remained seated as the others in the audience began to exit the theater. He wasn’t entirely sure of what was expected of him now. Was his only obligation to come and see the show? Should he go back to the green room and wait? Or would that be too presumptuous on his part?
Not until he was the only person remaining in the auditorium did he stand and start to leave. That was when Timothy appeared from the same side door Duff had gone through when he visited the green room.
“Captain MacCallister?” Timothy called.
“Aye?”
“Mr. MacCallister’s compliments, sir, and he asks if you will join him in his dressing room.”
Duff followed Timothy along the same path he had traversed earlier, but this time they passed through the green room, which was even more crowded now than it had been before. All the cast and the stagehands were gathered there, babbling in excitement as they came down from the exhilaration of the production. Timothy led him through the green room and down a long hall to one of two doors, each of which had a star just above the name. The sign on one door read: MISS MACCALLISTER. The sign on the other door read: MR. MACCALLISTER. It was upon this door that Timothy knocked.
“Mr. MacCallister? It is Timothy, sir. I have Captain MacCallister with me.”
The door opened and Andrew stood just on the other side, his face white and shining with some sort of cleansing lotion.
“Thank you, Timothy. Come in, Duff, come in,” Andrew said. “I shall be but a few minutes longer. Then perhaps you would honor Rosanna and me by allowing us to take you out to dinner.”
“No,” Duff said.
“No?” Andrew had a surprised expression on his face.
Duff smiled. “I was your guest for the wonderful play. Now I insist that you and Rosanna be my guests for dinner.”
Andrew smiled and nodded his head. “We would be delighted,” he said.
Duff watched in fascination as Andrew sat down at his dressing table and, using a towel, wiped his face clean of the cleansing lotion. Gone, also, were the dark lines that had been around his eyes, and the dark outline of his lips.
“You must wonder what kind of man would put makeup on his face,” Andrew said, glancing at Duff in his mirror.
“No, I . . .”
Andrew’s laugh interrupted his response. “I know, I know, my own brothers tease me about it. But one must outline the eyes and the mouth when onstage for, next to the voice, those are the most important instruments in an actor’s profession. With them, we exhibit surprise”—Andrew opened wide his eyes and mouth—“anger”—he squinted his eyes and drew his mouth into a snarl—“sadness”—he managed to make his eyes droop and his lips curl down—“and happiness.” Again his eyes were wide, though not quite as wide, and his mouth spread into a wide smile.
Duff laughed, and applauded. “That is very good,” he said.
“Yes, you could see it because you are here with me, in the same room and but a few feet away. Onstage, however, the audience member in the farthest row from the stage must be able to see those same reactions, and in order to do that, we must use makeup.”
“I can see how that would be so,” Duff said.
There was a light knock on the door and a woman’s voice called through. “Andrew, are you decent?”
“Why, Sister, I am one of the most decent people I know,” Andrew replied.
“That had better be more than a joke, because I am coming in,” Rosanna said, pushing the door open and stepping into the room. Her makeup and costume had been removed, but she was still, Duff saw, a very attractive woman. She smiled at Duff. “Did Andrew tell you we want you to be our dinner guest tonight?”
“I told him, but he refused,” Andrew said.
“What?” Rosanna replied in surprise.
“It turns out that he wants us to be his guests.”
Rossana laughed. “I hope you accepted.”
“Of course I did,” Andrew said.
Chapter Three
After the show Duff took his two cousins out to dinner at the King’s Arms restaurant.
