20 TWO DIANAS IN ALASKA 



The ordinary theatre in Victoria was not open 

 regularly, week by week, when we were there, but 

 the companies coming in from the States and 

 Canada were often very good. The boards were 

 sacred too, for they had been trodden by " the Bern- 

 hardt," as the divine Sarah is always referred to " out 

 there," and other famous touring stars. 



One evening we went to hear a very much adver- 

 tised American band. I mustn't particularize. It 

 was a very excellent band indeed. Before almost 

 everything they played they produced a board with 

 "By desire" printed upon it in very large type. 

 Some one had expressed a desire apparently for 

 almost every item. I was so amused to hear a lan- 

 guid-looking, rather unintelligent lady, who was 

 seated just in front of me, remark sotto voce to her 

 cavalier 



" What a large number of pieces this man 

 'Desire' has written, hasn't he? Have you ever 

 heard of him?" 



The amusing part of it all was that the man she 

 questioned was equally at sea, and they both agreed 

 that they must lose no time in acquiring some of 

 " Desire's " taking efforts from a Government Street 

 music store ! 



In between the buying of stores and the getting 

 the Lily started off, Ralph managed to find time in 

 which to make a complete stupid of himself. It was 

 all brought about, he afterwards confided to me, by 

 Cecily's apparent indifference, and came of a desire 

 to make her jealous. A foolish idea at any time 



