Free Lovers' Vows by Joan Smith Page A

copy of the play. It was Holly’s lot to greet Mr. Johnson alone.
    His bright smile led her to believe he had achieved success with Dewar on the matter of augmented funds for the orphanage. “Don’t tell me Lord Dewar has called on you at last!” she exclaimed.
    “Indeed he has. Most kind of him. He stayed the better part of an hour. Brought two of his guests with him, a Mr. Homberly and Mr. Altmore. Altmore seems a very gentlemanly sort of a man.”
    “I was well impressed with him at the assembly.”
    “An excellent fellow. He is to play the role of Romeo. A little old for Jane’s Juliet but then, as Dewar says, at a distance from the stage it will not be noticed. Altmore has a youthful, lithesome figure and a wonderful voice.”
    “I see he bored you with his wretched play! Of more importance, Mr. Johnson, are the funds for the orphanage. What sum has he given?”
    “The orphanage? We did not discuss it. We are to have a good coze very soon about that.”
    “You cannot mean you sat for an hour and let him away without dunning him for more money!” she exclaimed, nonplussed.
    “The time was not appropriate. Dewar could only speak of his play. He is very enthusiastic about it. And, as he says, it will be a very good cultural influence on the villagers. We do not get enough intellectual stimulation here in Harknell. I daresay I ought to do more along that line.”
    “You scarcely have time to tend to the church and the orphanage. I’m sure no one expects you to raise the level of culture as well.”
    “Still, it is a pity that we are all sunk into an intellectual apathy here. I did not realize the extent of it till I spoke with Dewar and Altmore. They are certainly very stimulating conversational companions. How seldom it occurs to us here in the village to read the latest book—philosophical work or poetry, I mean, for of course you ladies all read novels. We are very behindhand in such matters, and I must include ourselves there, Miss McCormack. Oh, we will occasionally order a new sheet of music, or a book of sermons, but the real intellectual life of the country passes us by. We live in a stagnant backwater, and do virtually nothing to keep abreast of the times.”
    “I don’t see that putting on Shakespeare brings us right up to the minute,” she answered sharply, not liking the slurs on her mental torpor.
    “Shakespeare? He is for all times. Each age finds its own meaning in him. That is what makes him a classic. But our talk was not limited to Shakespeare by a long shot. Philosophy, music, art—those were our topics of conversation. Very stimulating. It quite took me back to my university days. I am very happy indeed they mean to stay a while, and I shall be seeing a good bit of them, with this play.”
    “Surely the play will occupy Dewar a good deal, having quite the opposite effect from what you say. He will not have much time to discuss cultural matters with you.”
    “Oh, I am to be in the play! Did I not tell you? He asked me to take the part of Friar Laurence. Quite a pivotal character, next in importance only to Romeo and Juliet. Indeed, according to certain views, he is even more important—the only well-developed mature character in the play, actually. Dewar feels my real-life role as a minister of the church adds a depth to the characterization as well. Sort of a role within a role for me, if you see the point. A minister playing a friar. A very profound part. Fortunately, I have a copy of the play in my library. I was used to be quite active in reading and studying, once upon a time.”
    “But what of the Christmas pageant? And the baskets—to say nothing of the sewing!”
    “The play will take the place of the pageant this year. We have the same old pageant every year, with the same old stock figures. This will be a pleasant change. We shall put on a special performance for the orphans in the afternoon, and it will serve double duty as a dress rehearsal. It is all arranged. You