Confidence returned.... "Oh, that! Yes, of course. But I could see it coming a long ways ahead. So I quit, and came back to look for another engagement. You--"
"Beg pardon?" Matthias queried curiously.
Joan flushed again. "You don't know of anything I could do, just now, I suppose?"
He shook his head. "Not at present, I'm afraid."
"If you should hear of anything, it would be awful' good of you to let me know."
"Care of The Dramatic Mirror will always get me."
"Well...." She offered him her hand with a splendidly timid smile. "I suppose it's good-bye for good this time."
Matthias accepted her hand, shook it without a tremor, and released it easily.
"I've a notion it is, Joan," he admitted.
She turned toward the door, advanced a pace or two, and paused.
"They say Arlington's going to make a lot of new productions next Fall...."
"Well, I was wondering if you wouldn't mind putting in a good word for me."
"I would be glad to, but unfortunately I don't know Mr. Arlington."
"But you know Mr. Marbridge, and everybody says he's Arlington's silent partner."
Matthias looked as uncomfortable as he felt.
"I am not sure that is true," he said slowly, "and--well, to tell the truth, Marbridge and I aren't on the best of terms. I'm afraid I couldn't influence him in any way--except, perhaps, to prejudice him."
It came to her, in a flash, that the two men might have quarrelled about her, thanks to the obvious fascination she had exerted over Marbridge, that age-old day at Tanglewood.
"I suppose," she ventured pensively, "I might go to see him--Mr. Marbridge--myself--?"
This time the accent of finality was unmistakable. Joan bridled with resentment. After all, he'd no real call to be so uppish, simply because she hadn't let him stand between her and her career....
"You don't really think I ought to go and see him, do you?"
"But I've got no one to advise me.... If you don't think it wise, I wish you'd say so. I thought perhaps it was a chance...."
Matthias shrugged, excessively irritated by her persistence. "I can only say that I wouldn't advise any woman to look to Marbridge for anything honourable," he said reluctantly.
"But--I'm sorry you made me say that. It's none of my affair. Please forget I said it."