But that distrust of Barry Nolan's competency which troubled Lucinda's
mind almost from the very outset of their association had yet to
crystallize on the Saturday when Summerlad was expected home; and her
disposition toward the director was rendered only the more amiable when,
toward noon, he informed her that he wouldn't need her again till Monday
morning.
Nevertheless it threatened to prove a long afternoon to an impatient
woman, and Lucinda, wanting company to help her while it away, promptly
petitioned for Fanny's release as well.
Fanny, however, was busily employed, as she had been ever since early
morning, waiting for Nolan to put her through a scheduled five-minute
scene which would round out her full day's work. But Nolan graciously
promised to set her free in another hour, and then--to get rid of
Lucinda's presence, which instinct was already beginning to warn him was
silently skeptical of his claims--artfully suggested that she might like
to review the rushes of yesterday's camera-work.
Assuming that she would find the projection-room empty, Lucinda made her
way to it without bothering to remove her make-up, but on opening the
door saw a fan-like beam of turbid light wavering athwart its darkness,
and would have withdrawn, had not Zinn's thick and genial accents hailed
her from the rear of the long, black-walled, tunnel-like chamber.
"Come right on in, Miss Lee. We'll be through in a minute. Just running
some of the fillum come through from Joe Jacques yesterday. Maybe you'd
like to see it. 'Sgreat stuff that boy Summerlad's putting over this
time."
Murmuring thanks, Lucinda groped her way--bending low, that her head
might not block the light--to one of the arm-chairs beneath the slotted
wall which shut off the projection-machines in their fire-proof housing.
When her vision had accommodated itself to the gloom, she made out
several figures in other chairs, sitting quietly behind ruddy noses of
cigars and cigarettes. At a table to one side the glow of a closely
shaded lamp disclosed an apparently amputated hand hanging with pencil
poised above a pad, ready to note down anything the traffic of the
screen might suggest to Zinn. The latter was conversing in undertones
with somebody in the adjoining chair, and the rumble of their voices was
punctuated now and again by a chuckle which affected Lucinda with a
shiver of uncertain recollection. But she couldn't be sure, in that mirk
she could by no means make out the features of Zinn's companion or even
the shape of his head, and the surmise seemed too absurd....
She was none the less perturbed to a degree that hindered just
appreciation of the admirable work of Lynn Summerlad, whose shadow, clad
in the rude garments of a lumberjack, was performing feats of skill and
daring against a background of logging-camp scenery; and thanks to her
misgivings, as much as to the custom of taking and retaking again and
again even scenes of minor importance, had grown well weary of watching
Lynn bound frantically from log to log of a churning river to rescue
Alice Drake from what seemed to be desperately real danger in the
break-up of a log jam, when abruptly the shining rectangle of the screen
turned blank, the beam of clouded light was blotted out, and a dim bulb
set in the black ceiling was lighted to guide the spectators to the
door.
Then, with a fluttering heart, Lucinda identified her husband in Zinn's
companion; and anger welling in her bosom affected her with momentary
suffocation, so that she was put to it to reply when Zinn, leering
hideously, presented Bellamy.
"Shake hands with Mr. Druce, Miss Lee: new tenant of mine, going to work
here same as you, just signed a lease for space to make his first
production."
"What!"
At that monosyllable of dismayed protest, Lucinda saw Zinn's little eyes
of a pig grow wide with surprise; which emotion, however, might have
been due quite as much to what Bellamy was saying.
"But I am fortunate, Mr. Zinn, in already having the honour of Miss
Lee's acquaintance." Bellamy took possession of her hand. "How do you
do, Linda? So happy to see you again--looking more radiant than ever,
too!"
"Is that so? You two know each other! Whyn't you tell me?"
"Wasn't sure it was this Miss Lee I knew until I saw her."
"Well, well! Ain't that nice! You ought to get along together fine, both
working in the same studio and everything."
Lucinda found her voice all at once, but hardly her self-possession. "It
isn't--it can't be true! Bel: it isn't true you're----!"
"Afraid it is, Linda." Bel's smile was lightly mocking. "The picture
business has got me in its toils at last. Only needed that trip out here
to decide me. Now I'm in it up to my ears. Something to do, you know."
"But not--not as an actor?"
"Bless your heart, no! All kinds of a nincompoop but that. No: I'm
coming in on the producing side, forming a little company and starting
in a modest way, as you see, on leased premises, with the most
economical overhead I can figure. If I make good--well, I understand Mr.
Zinn is willing to sell his studio, and I'll be wanting one all my very
own."
"Any time you want to talk business, Mr. Druce, you know the way to my
office. Don't stand on ceremony, and don't let nobody kid you I'm into a
conference and can't be disturbed by anybody who wants to buy me out of
this Bedlam: just walk right in, slap the cheque-book down on my desk,
and unlimber the old fountain-pen; you'll find me willing to listen to
reason. Well: got to get along, folks. They're going to run some of Miss
Lee's rushes now. Maybe you'd like to look at them, if she don't mind."
"I hope very truly she won't," Bellamy said, smiling into Lucinda's
eyes.
Lucinda uttered a faint-hearted negative: no, she wouldn't mind. No
other way out till they were alone.... But her heart was hot with
resentment of the way that Bel was forever forcing situations upon her
in which she must accept him on his own terms.
Immediately the door had closed behind Zinn, however, Bel's manner
changed, his show of assurance gave place to diffidence or its fair
semblance.
"I'm sorry, Linda--I really don't mean to be a pest----"
"Then why are you here? Why _won't_ you keep out of my way?"
"Give me half a chance, I think I can make you understand----"
"You had that chance weeks ago, and deliberately refused it. Do you
imagine I will give you another opportunity to affront me as you did?"
"But surely you got my note----"
"What note?"
"The note I sent to the Hollywood, explaining I was called East on two
hours' notice, but would return as soon as I could; begging you to
consider our interview merely postponed----"
"If you sent any such note, I could hardly have failed to receive it."
"But Linda! I did send it, an hour before I left, by special
delivery--'pon my word I did!"
"Possibly," Lucinda suggested with laboured scorn, "you misaddressed it,
forgetting which of your numerous feminine acquaintances you were
writing to."
"I addressed it," Bel insisted stoutly, "to Mrs. Bellamy Druce."
"If so, that explains it. They know me at the hotel only as Linda Lee."
"How was I to know that?"
"Your sources of information concerning me seem to be fairly busy and
accurate."
"I'm sorry if you've been annoyed"--Lucinda cut in a short laugh of
derision--"no, really I am! But I had to----"
"Wait!" Lucinda had become aware of a head framed in the little window
of the projection-booth and regarding them with a smile of friendly
interest. "Not now--later."
"All ready, Miss Lee," said the operator, unabashed--"if you are, I
mean."
"Yes, thank you, quite ready." As she settled back into her chair and
Bellamy placed himself by her side she added in a guarded tone: "As soon
as I've looked these scenes over, we can go to my dressing-room...."
The ceiling light winked out, stuttering rays thrashed through the dark
to paint in black and white those winsome gestures which Lucinda had
described before the camera. But her interest in her pictured self for
once had lapsed, vanity itself was for the time being wholly in
abeyance, she watched without seeing the play of light and shadow, and
when it faded from the screen could not have said what she had seen.
Weird, to sit there in the dark with the man beside her who had once
filled all her heart that was now filled with longing for another....
When the screen once more shone blank and the ceiling light flashed on,
Bel was smiling cheerfully.
"No wonder you fell for the screen so hard, Linda: you're exquisite, and
no mistake. If you stick at it, never fear; it won't be long before
you'll be wiping the eyes of the best of them."
"Thank you," she said stiffly--"but I don't think I want that. I only
want a life I can live and hold my self-respect."
"And you come to Hollywood to find it?"