Read The Case of the Gilded Fly for Free Online Page B

He felt uneasily that he ought to move, but curiosity compelled him to stay. Neither of them had noticed him.
    â€˜If only you wouldn’t be so damnably jealous, darling …’
    â€˜Yseut, dear. You know how much I love you –’
    â€˜Oh, God, yes. I know.’
    â€˜Of course it’s a damn nuisance for you when you’re not in love with me.’
    â€˜Darling, I’ve told you I love you. But after all, there’s my career as well.’
    â€˜Jane!’ came Robert’s voice suddenly from the front. ‘Ring for Yseut, will you, dear? I want to run through her song with her.’
    â€˜It’s all right, darling, I’m here,’ said Yseut and went off down the gangway.
    The little group on the stage began to disperse in various directions.
    â€˜Don’t go away, people,’ said Robert. ‘Just clear the stage. This won’t take long, and we’ve got to make a start afterwards whether Clive’s arrived or not. Someone can read his part. Did you get a dance routine worked out?’ he added to Yseut.
    â€˜Yes. But I didn’t know how it was going to be set. Will it be as it is now?’
    â€˜Is that all right for the first act, Richard?’ Robert appealed to the scenic designer.
    â€˜The flats in the O.P. will be further back,’ said Richard. ‘And there’s no table – Jane! Jane dear!’
    The stage manager appeared from the prompt corner like a rabbit out of a hat.
    â€˜Jane, that table’s much further upstage.’
    â€˜I’m sorry, Richard, but if you remember it’s fixed down. We can’t take it up now – we had a hell of a job with it in the first place.’
    â€˜Oh, well, never mind,’ said Robert, ‘do the best you can for the moment. Bruce dear boy,’ he added to the young man in the orchestra pit, ‘you’ll play it for the moment, won’t you? Straight through, two choruses.’
    The young man in the orchestra pit nodded gloomily. ‘Why was I born?’ he said. ‘Why am I living?’
    â€˜That’s right. It’s an old song, but quite nice.’ (To Yseut) ‘Ready, dear? Now, what in God’s name is the cue? Oh, yes. Clive says: “Well, get on and sing the thing if you must”.’
    â€˜Quiet please!’ A subdued murmuring from the wings ceased abruptly.
    â€˜WELL, GET ON AND SING THE DAMN THING IF YOU MUST!’ roared Robert suddenly.
    The pianist played a couple of bars’ introduction, and Yseut began to sing.
    â€˜Why was I born,
    Â Why am-?’
    â€˜Sorry, sorry, just a minute!’ said Robert suddenly. The musicceased. ‘Yseut dear, you’ll be
upstage centre
at the beginning. We’ll get the moves for the song set later; do what you like for the moment. All right “Get on and whatever-it-is, diddle-diddle-diddle.”’
    Robert retired backwards up the gangway, and the music began again.
    Nigel went across to Donald. ‘Hello!’ he said.
    Donald, whose eyes had been fixed on the stage, started violently, ‘Oh, hello,’ he answered. ‘Couldn’t think who it was for a moment. Let’s go and sit down, shall we?’
    When they had got settled, Nigel’s attention went back to the stage again. Against his inclination, he was forced to admire the way Yseut sang, adopting for the occasion a slight American accent and a slight lisp. She put it across beautifully; it was all very provocatively sexy.
    â€˜Why was I born,
    Why am I livin’?
    What do I get,
    What am I givin’?
    Why do I want the things I dare not hope for?
    What can I hope for? I wish I knew!
    Why do I try
    To draw you near me?
    Why do I cry? –
    You never hear me!
    I’m a poor fool, but what can I do?
    Why was I born to love you?’
    The song over, the young man at the piano played through another chorus with a bored expression, and Yseut danced. She danced well, with a