She was the
only person concerned whom he didn't flatter.
The author and the actress stuck so to the business in hand that she
had very little time to speak to him again of Mrs. Alsager, of whom
indeed her imagination appeared adequately to have disposed.
Wayworth once remarked to her that Nona Vincent was supposed to be a
good deal like his charming friend; but she gave a blank "Supposed by
whom?" in consequence of which he never returned to the subject. He
confided his nervousness as freely as usual to Mrs. Alsager, who
easily understood that he had a peculiar complication of anxieties.
His suspense varied in degree from hour to hour, but any relief there
might have been in this was made up for by its being of several
different kinds. One afternoon, as the first performance drew near,
Mrs. Alsager said to him, in giving him his cup of tea and on his
having mentioned that he had not closed his eyes the night before:
"You must indeed be in a dreadful state. Anxiety for another is
still worse than anxiety for one's self.
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