Anna Lombard, page 79 by Victoria Cross
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behind the scenes.
Now, as every one knows, there is nothing so efficacious as private theatricals for bringing out the innate selfishness, conceit, and smallness of human nature, and I fully experienced this through the next fortnight; but among all the pettiness, the malice and uukindness, the fret and fussing of all these women, Anna stood out alone as unmoved and unspoiled by it. She said very little about her own part, and took all the chaff and remonstrances aboufc the "horrid woman" she was to personate, and her "hideous red hair "in good part.
"Gerald wishes it," was all she said in answer to jests, questions, and mockery.
She helped prettier girls than herself to dress their hair and choose their garments to the most advantage. She lent generously from her own wardrobe and jewel-case. She smoothed out quarrels, and turned the venomous remarks of one woman to another aside as often as she could; and praised, consoled, complimented, and softened the temper of them all. And in those days I grew to know her and love her better than ever. There was no meanness, no small cruelty, no hardness in her character. It was like some of our Indian stuffs, woven true, both sides, upper and under alike, and velvety all through.
At last the eventful evening came, and I, who had not once seen her stand for the picture, was full of wonder and curiosity as to how far she would catch the spirit of it. From early afternoon my whole house had been in a turmoil, like a bee-hive in which there is an internal revolution. But by eight o'clock, when the curtains were to be drawn aside from the first picture, everything seemed to be in perfect order. The audience were all seated, and, as far as they could judge, perfect peace and calm reigned behind those heavy maroon curtains. I, who had seen the back of these for the past two weeks, doubted the last proposition; but appearances were admirably maintained. The front drawing-room was an enormous room, and now, cleared entirely of furniture, it accommodated