“Fine,” he said, and then, seized by a sudden impulse, arose and went about to the stage door.

When he came in upon Carrie she was still with Drouet.  His feelings for her were most exuberant.  He was almost swept away by the strength and feeling she exhibited.  His desire was to pour forth his praise with the unbounded feelings of a lover, but here was Drouet, whose affection was also rapidly reviving.  The latter was more fascinated, if anything, than Hurstwood.  At least, in the nature of things, it took a more ruddy form.

“Well, well,” said Drouet, “you did out of sight.  That was simply great.  I knew you could do it.  Oh, but you’re a little daisy!”

Carrie’s eyes flamed with the light of achievement.

“Did I do all right?”

“Did you?  Well, I guess.  Didn’t you hear the applause?”

There was some faint sound of clapping yet.

“I thought I got it something like—­I felt it.”

Just then Hurstwood came in.  Instinctively he felt the change in Drouet.  He saw that the drummer was near to Carrie, and jealousy leaped alight in his bosom.  In a flash of thought, he reproached himself for having sent him back.  Also, he hated him as an intruder.  He could scarcely pull himself down to the level where he would have to congratulate Carrie as a friend.  Nevertheless, the man mastered himself, and it was a triumph.  He almost jerked the old subtle light to his eyes.

“I thought,” he said, looking at Carrie, “I would come around and tell you how well you did, Mrs. Drouet.  It was delightful.”

Carrie took the cue, and replied: 

“Oh, thank you.”

“I was just telling her,” put in Drouet, now delighted with his possession, “that I thought she did fine.”

“Indeed you did,” said Hurstwood, turning upon Carrie eyes in which she read more than the words.

Carrie laughed luxuriantly.

“If you do as well in the rest of the play, you will make us all think you are a born actress.”

Carrie smiled again.  She felt the acuteness of Hurstwood’s position, and wished deeply that she could be alone with him, but she did not understand the change in Drouet.  Hurstwood found that he could not talk, repressed as he was, and grudging Drouet every moment of his presence, he bowed himself out with the elegance of a Faust.  Outside he set his teeth with envy.

“Damn it!” he said, “is he always going to be in the way?” He was moody when he got back to the box, and could not talk for thinking of his wretched situation.

As the curtain for the next act arose, Drouet came back.  He was very much enlivened in temper and inclined to whisper, but Hurstwood pretended interest.  He fixed his eyes on the stage, although Carrie was not there, a short bit of melodramatic comedy preceding her entrance.  He did not see what was going on, however.  He was thinking his own thoughts, and they were wretched.