John dismounts and comes to Asia. He takes her basket, reaches over to brush some stray hair from her face. “Guess what I’ve gone and done,” he says. She can see how pleased he is.

“It’s something wonderful,” she says. “But I can’t guess what.”

“Last night, I played the role of Richmond at the Charles Street Theater.”

When Mother is told, she’s not so pleased. Edwin started small and worked his way up to the major roles. He earned his place. While June, when green, had found that companies would hire him on the basis of his name alone. It’s a smart business move for them. If a Booth commands the stage, people will pay to see that. If he stumbles, proves talentless, people will pay to see that, too. Mother says, as gently as she can, that John is unseasoned and unready.

The night John appeared was the only night in which the theater was filled. A capacity crowd had hissed John’s performance. The air of triumph Asia detected was the best acting John had managed. Mother was right. He’d been exploited for his name and the man who did this was Edwin’s good friend Sleeper Clarke.

It all made John remember how, years ago when he was only eight, Sleeper and Edwin had taken the role of Richard away from him and offered him Richmond. He remembered their arrogance, their thirteen-year-old bossiness.

Yesterday, he’d been grateful to Sleeper for giving him his chance. Sleeper’s been practically family for as long as John can remember. He wants to believe in his good intentions. The fault is John’s own, his own dreams, his own vanity. Getting above himself. He says nothing to Asia. The next time Sleeper asks, he says no.

xiv

Asia turns twenty. It’s an occasion for a good scrubbing of the soul. What has she done in the past year on behalf of heaven? Has she avoided becoming what she most fears—scrupulous, prudish, judging, and cold-hearted? Has she instead been what she most wishes—generous, merciful, a kindly old maid? How can she do better? What lies ahead?

“I fear the unfolded page,” she writes to Jean. “Promise you’ll always love me.”

xv

Letters arrive from Edwin with such adventures! Pirates boarded his ship near Samoa, trying unsuccessfully to seize the wheel and run it aground on the coral reefs. There was a mutiny in which the traveling players were forced to defend the captain with their counterfeit swords and wooden guns.

After a successful run in Sydney, the troop moved on to Melbourne, where Edwin celebrated his twenty-first birthday in a manner his letters do not recount. In fact, quite, quite drunk, he attempted to fly the American flag at his hotel, while loudly castigating the British Empire. This roused the Australians to such a pitch of patriotism that they refused to come and see him act. In one drunken spree, Edwin destroyed the whole Australian tour.