She drove back even faster than she had come.  As she passed the city hall clock she drew a breath of relief.  It was ten minutes of nine.  The first act was hardly half over.  Leaping from the machine with the lost costumes she ran triumphantly into the dressing room.

“Here she is,” shrieked Nora in delight.  “I knew she’d make good.”

“Are they all there, Grace,” anxiously inquired Miss Tebbs.  “You dear, good child.  Where did you find them?”

“That is a mystery which even Sherlock Holmes can never solve,” replied Grace, laughing.  “Where’s Anne?”

“She’s on just now with Celia,” replied Miss Tebbs, “and is playing up to her usual form, but she is very nervous and almost broke down after you left.  She feels that you made too great a sacrifice for her in giving up your part.”

“Nonsense,” said Grace.  “Why should I have sacrificed the star to my own personal vanity?  Miriam Nesbit can play Orlando as well as I, and makes a more striking appearance at that.”

“I don’t agree with you, Grace, for you were an ideal ‘Orlando,’” replied Miss Tebbs.  “However it’s too late for regret, and the best I can do now is to make you assistant stage manager.  Some of those girls need looking after.  Miss Savell had a bad case of stage fright and almost had to be dragged on.  She forgot her lines and had to be prompted.  She’s all right now, but I am devoutly thankful she didn’t play ‘Rosalind,’ for she certainly would not have done justice to it.”

Grace smiled grimly as she listened to Miss Tebbs.  She could not feel sorry at Eleanor’s recent agitation.  Now that the excitement was over, Grace felt her anger rising.  Eleanor’s thirst for glory and revenge had been the means of losing Grace the part that she had so eagerly looked forward to playing, not to mention the narrow escape Anne had run.  Still, on the whole, Grace felt glad that so far no one knew the truth.

“I think I’ll go into the wings.  It’s almost time for the curtain,” she said to Miss Tebbs.  But before she could reach there, the curtain had rung down and the audience were calling for Celia and Rosalind, who took the call hand in hand.  Then Rosalind took two calls and bowed herself into the wings and straight into Grace’s arms.

“O Grace, how could you do it?” said Anne, with a half sob.  “You gave up your part for me.  It’s too much.  I shan’t——­”

“You shall,” replied Grace, hugging her.  “Run along and put on male attire.  I found your stuff and some time I’ll tell you where, but not now.”

The play progressed with remarkable smoothness, and the various actors received unstinted applause from the audience, but from first to last Anne was the star.  Her portrayal of Rosalind left little to be desired.  Time after time Mr. Southard led the applause, and was ably seconded by Hippy, Reddy, David and Tom, who fairly wriggled with enthusiasm.

Next to Anne, Nora, perhaps, came second.  Her delivery of Touchstone’s lines was delightful and she kept the audience in a gale of mirth whenever she appeared.