At another, she was to stop, toss her head, and look pertly at the audience--she did it.

When she took out the paper to read the list of the presents she had received, could she give it a tap with her finger (Yes)?
And lead off with a little laugh (Yes--after twice trying)?
Could she read the different items with a sly look at the end of each sentence, straight at the pit (Yes, straight at the pit, and as sly as you please)?
The manager's cheerful face beamed with approval.
He tucked the play under his arm, and clapped his hands gayly; the gentlemen, clustered together behind the scenes, followed his example; the ladies looked at each other with dawning doubts whether they had not better have left the new recruit in the retirement of private life.
Too deeply absorbed in the business of the stage to heed any of them, Magdalen asked leave to repeat the soliloquy, and make quite sure of her own improvement.

She went all through it again without a mistake, this time, from beginning to end; the manager celebrating her attention to his directions by an outburst of professional approbation, which escaped him in spite of himself.

"She can take a hint!" cried the little man, with a hearty smack of his hand on the prompt-book.

"She's a born actress, if ever there was one yet!" "I hope not," said Miss Garth to herself, taking up the work which had dropped into her lap, and looking down at it in some perplexity.
Her worst apprehension of results in connection with the theatrical enterprise had foreboded levity of conduct with some of the gentlemen--she had not bargained for this.