It did not strike him that the manager was using him merely as a piece of decoration.
One day, however, at rehearsal the leading lady said: "If my lute-player could play a few chords here--or the orchestra for him-it would help me tremendously.

I've got all this long cross with nothing to say." Paul seized his opportunity.

"I can play the mandoline," said he.
"Oh, can you ?" said the manager, and Paul was handed over to the musical director, and the next day rehearsed with a real instrument which he twanged in the manner prescribed.

He did not fail to announce himself to Jane as a musician.
Gradually he found his feet among the heterogeneous band who walk on at London theatres.

Some were frankly vulgar, some were pretentiously genteel, a good many were young men of gentle birth from the public schools and universities.