THE ROSE PLAY-HOUSE 131

blue-veined white marble ; but when he took hold of them
to steady himself he found they were only painted wood.

There were two galleries above. They ran all around
the inside of the building, like the porches of the inn at
Coventry, and he could see them across the house. ‘There
were no windows in the gallery where he was, but there
were some in the second one. They lookedhigh. He went
on around the gallery until he came to some steps going
down into the open space in the center of the building.
The stage was already set up on the trestles, and the car-
penters were putting a shelter-roof over it on copper-gilt
pillars ; for it was beginning to drizzle, and the middle of
the play-house was open to the sky.

The spectators were already coming into the pit at a
penny apiece, although the play would not begin until
early evening. Those for the galleries paid another penny
to aman in a red cloak at the foot of the stairs where
Nick was standing. There was a great uproar at the en-
trance. Some apprentices had caught a cutpurse in the
crowd, and were beating him unmercifully. Every one
pushed and shoved about, cursing the thief, and those
near enough kicked and struck him.

Nick looked back. Carew and the manager had gone
into the tiring-room behind the stage. He took hold of
the side-rail and started down the steps. The man in the
red cloak looked up. “Go back there,” said he, sharply ;
“there ’s enough down here now.” Nick went on around
the gallery.

At the back of the stage were two doors for the players,