It Ends with Revelations

It Ends with Revelations Read Online Free PDF

Book: It Ends with Revelations Read Online Free PDF
Author: Dodie Smith
they ought to leave; with a dress rehearsal next day, Miles needed a long night. They congratulated Peter warmly, and sincerely, on some highly dramatic effects he had achieved, and then left him, a solitary figure, in the blue and white auditorium which contrasted so oddly with the unrealistic, unrealistically lit, set in front of him.
    ‘Is he going on all night?’ said Jill, as they made their way to the foyer.
    ‘If so, he’ll ruin the management with overtime. No one could call our Peter economical. But I do admire him.’
    Outside there was a full moon. Jill said, ‘That’s a better effect than Peter will achieve with any amount of overtime. How lovely Spa Street looks. I’ve just remembered. Twelve years ago I went up to look at Queen’s Crescent by moonlight.’
    ‘Who with?’
    ‘No one. That’s why I went. I had an idea beauty might be soothing. Like hell it was. But when one’s miserable there’s something to be said for wallowing in it. And at least I’ve never forgotten how beautiful the Crescent looked.’
    ‘Is it far? Could we go now?’
    ‘As late as this? But it might be rather fun. It’s up at the back of the theatre. There’s a short cut up an enormous flight of steps. This way, I think.’
    They found the steps a little further along Spa Street.
    ‘Well, they’ll help to keep my weight down,’ said Miles, looking up them. ‘There must be quite a hundred.’
    ‘But they’re not steep.’
    Still, they were both of them a trifle breathless when they reached the top. Then they only had a little way to walk, mercifully over level ground, to the terrace.
    ‘It’s worth the climb,’ said Miles.
    No light showed in any window. The houses, built of pale grey stone, looked almost white under the moon. In front of them, the expanse of grass that sloped towards the roofs of a lower terrace was bleached of colour. Far below, beyond Spa Street, was the open countryside.
    ‘Lucky the houses have their backs to the New Town,’ said Jill. ‘What, exactly, constitutes their beauty?’
    ‘I don’t know enough about architecture to say. Perhaps it’s partly due to their uniformity – and no one’s put in a fancy window or added a porch or an attic storey. And the curve of the Crescent is superb. I suppose it’s not as imposing as the Royal Crescent at Bath but I find it even more pleasing.’
    Jill, peering, said, ‘There’s a row of bells at every front door. That must mean the houses are divided into flats now. Seems sad.’
    ‘Still, as long as they’re well taken care of, as they obviously are …’
    ‘I wonder which house Geoffrey Thornton’s grandmother lived in. Did you really like the Thorntons or do you want me to protect you from them?’
    ‘Oh, I liked them well enough. We might give the girls some little outing, a picnic or something.’
    ‘Not Thornton?’
    ‘I imagined he might be too busy with constituency work. But by all means give him the chance.’
    ‘We must see how the week works out. You’re bound to have a few rehearsals.’
    ‘More than a few, I’d say. Yes, I may not have much time.’
    They were leaning, now, on the stone balustrade at the top of the grassy slope. She noticed that he was looking troubled – his face was so expressive that, when playing in films or television, he often had to school it into immobility to avoid giving the impression of overacting. She said, ‘Are you still worried about Peter’s behaviour to that boy?’
    ‘Not now. We can sort things out once Monday night’s over.’
    But his expression remained clouded. After a few seconds she said, ‘Then what is worrying you?’
    He smiled. ‘Read me like a book, can’t you? Jill, things have worked out for you, haven’t they? I mean … well, us.’
    ‘Miles, dear!’ She looked at him in blank astonishment. ‘Surely you know they have? What made you ask?’
    He hesitated for a moment, then said, ‘Oh, perhaps it was seeing you in this place, imagining you as a girl
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