Театр

           Avicewasoneofthoseactresseswhowerequitesureofthemselvesfromthefirstrehearsal.Shedidn’tknowwhatwascomingtoher.TommeantnothingtoJuliaanymore,butshehadascoretosettlewithAviceandshewasn’tgoingtoforgetit.Theslut!

           TheplaywasamodernversionofTheSecondMrs.Tanqueray,butwiththechangeofmannersofthisgenerationithadbeentreatedfromthestandpointofcomedy.Someoftheoldcharacterswereintroduced,andAubreyTanqueray,nowaveryoldman,appearedinthesecondact.AfterPaula’sdeathhehadmarriedforthethirdtime.Mrs.Cortelyonhadundertakentocompensatehimforhisunfortunateexperiencewithhissecondwife,andshewasnowacantankerous*andinsolentoldlady.Ellean,hisdaughter,andHughArdalehadagreedtoletbygonesbebygones,forPaula’stragicdeathhadseemedtowipeouttherecollectionofhislapseintoextra-conjugalrelations;andtheyhadmarried.Hewasnowaretiredbrigadier-generalwhoplayedgolfanddeploredthedeclineoftheBritishEmpire-"Gad,sir,I’dstandthosedamnedsocialistsagainstawallandshoot’emifIhadmyway",whereasEllean,bythistimeanelderlywoman,afteraprudishyouthhadbecomegay,modernandplain-spoken.ThecharacterthatMichaelplayedwascalledRobertHumphreys,andliketheAubreyofPinero’splayhewasawidowerwithanonlydaughter;hehadbeenaconsulinChinaformanyyears,andhavingcomeintomoneyhadretiredandwassettlingontheestate,nearwheretheTanqueraysstilllived,whichacousinhadlefthim.