Chapter 6 Chapter Six

After two weeks of rehearsals, Michael was let go of the part that had been hired to come to America, and then he sat idle for three or four weeks, waiting for something to be offered to him.Finally he started on stage, and the play didn't run for a full month in New York.Later, he went on tour in other places, but the business was not good and he was withdrawn.After waiting some time, he was assigned a role in a period drama, in which his good looks took over so much that no one paid much attention to his listless performance, and the season ended with this play. .There was no mention of renewing the contract.The manager who hired him really had a hard time talking about him.

Well, I'm going to try to settle with that bitch Langton, he said, knowing full well when he shoved me that dumb log. Julia wrote to Michael frequently, with long streams of love and gossip, and he answered one letter a week, exactly four neat pages each.He always ends his letters with his deepest love and prefaces his signature your very dear, but the rest of his letters are factual rather than enthusiastic.Yet she still waited for his letter with painful anxiety, reading it over and over again.Though he wrote lightheartedly and said little about the theater there, only that they gave him bad parts and dismissed the plays he was asked to do, word spread quickly in theater circles, and Julia knew of him. Didn't achieve much.

I must be very mean, she thought, but I thank God, thank God. She was overjoyed when he informed her of the date of departure for his return voyage.She asked Jimmy to arrange the show so that she could pick him up in Liverpool. If the ship is late, I might spend the night there, she said to Jimmy. He smiled sarcastically. I think you want to take advantage of the excitement of his return from the ocean to achieve your goal. You are such a dirty little man. Stop talking, dear.I'll give you an idea, get him a little drunk, then lock yourself in a room with him and tell him you won't let him go unless he turns you into a rough woman.

But when she was leaving, he walked her to the station.When she walked into the carriage, he took her hand and patted it gently. Are you nervous, honey? Oh, dear Jimmy, maddened with joy and terribly anxious. Well, good luck.But don't forget that he is far from worthy of you.You are young and beautiful and you are the greatest British actress. The train left the station, and Jimmy went to the station bar and ordered a whiskey and soda.Lord, how stupid are the mortals of the world, he sighed.But Julia stood in the empty carriage, looking at herself in the mirror. The mouth is too big, the face is too fat, the nose is too fleshy.Thank God I have beautiful eyes and nice legs.Two beautiful legs.I don't know if I'm wearing too much makeup.He doesn't like heavy make-up off the stage.I look too red without rouge.My eyelashes are pretty good.Heck, I look okay.

Since Julia didn't know until the last minute whether Jimmy would allow her to go, there was no way to inform Michael that she was going to pick him up.He was surprised to see her, frankly overjoyed.His beautiful eyes shone with joy. You are cuter than ever, she said. Hey, don't be silly, he said with a smile, squeezing her arm tightly and affectionately.You can go back after dinner, can't you? I can't go back until tomorrow.I booked two rooms at the Adelphi so we could have a good talk. Adelphi is pretty luxurious, isn't it? Heh, you don't come back from America every day.No matter how much it costs.

Have you not become a little thing of luxury?I didn't know when our ship could reach Liverpool, so I told my family to wire them when I changed to Cheltenham.I will inform them that I will be there tomorrow. When they got to the hotel, Michael, on Julia's suggestion, went to Julia's room so they could have a quiet heart-to-heart talk.She sat on his lap, with an arm around his neck, her cheek pressed against his face. Ah, how nice to be back here again, she said with a sigh. of course?He said, not understanding that she meant his arms, not his arrival. Do you still like me? I love it.

She kisses him passionately. Oh, you have no idea how much I miss you. I failed miserably in America, he said, and I didn't tell you in my letter, because I would have troubled you in vain.They think I suck shit. Michael, she cried, as if she couldn't believe what he said. The truth is, I think, because I'm so British.They don't want me to play for another year.I knew they wouldn't want it, but on the surface I asked them if they would consider re-employment, and they said no, a clean refusal. Julia was silent.She looked like she was deeply worried, but her heart was beating with joy.

Honestly, I don't really care, you know.I don't like America.Of course, I had a bad nose, which is undeniable, but I have to live with it.You don't know what kind of people you have to deal with!Hey, compare it to these guys, Jimmy.Langton was a fine gentleman.Even if they asked me to stay, I wouldn't do it. Despite the indifference on his face, Julia felt that he must be deeply humiliated.He must have had to put up with a lot of unpleasant things, and she resented him being morose about it, but, oh, she was so relieved. What are you going to do now?she asked softly. Well, I'm going to go home for a while and think about it.Then I'm going to London to see if I can get a role.

She knew it was inappropriate to advise him to return to Middlepool.Jimmy.Langdon would not want him. I don't think you want to go with me, do you? Julia could hardly believe her ears. I?Baby, you know, I'd like to go with you anywhere. You're out of contract at the end of the season and if you want to make a difference you've got to go to London and try it out.I save every little penny I can in America, and they call me a miser, but I let them say what they say.I brought back twelve hundred to fifteen hundred pounds. Michael, how could you do this? I don't give away generously, you know, he said with a gaiety, of course it's not enough to start a theater, but it's enough to get married, I mean, we've got to have something in reserve, just in case No role, or can't find a job for several months.

Julia listened, and it was a second or two before she understood what he meant. Are you saying get married now? Of course, marriage is risky when the future is uncertain, but sometimes one has to take risks. Julia took his head in both hands and pressed her lips to his.Then she sighed. Baby, you're amazing, you're as beautiful as a Greek god, and yet you're the biggest fool I've ever known in my life. That night, they went to a theater to see a play, drank champagne with dinner, celebrated their reunion, and wished them well for the future.She looked up and brought her face close to Michael's as he walked to the door of her room.

Do you want me to say goodnight to you in the hallway?I want to go in and stay for a while. Come on, baby, she said demurely and solemnly. She felt as if she were a lady, and had to uphold all the noble traditions of an old and distinguished family; , she should also be a noble lady.She was very proud of her performance, so she walked into the room, locked the door with some noise, and walked around swaggeringly, bowing her head humbly to the imagined servants who flattered her on both sides.She stretched out lily-white hands to kiss the trembling old chief (who used to throw her up and down on his knees as a baby), and when he pressed his pale lips to hers, she felt Something fell on the back of her hand.It turned out to be a teardrop.