«How would you describe Jimmie Langton? Dwell upon his looks and typical behavior. What were the circumstances of Jimmie and Julia’s acquaintance?»

Jimmie Langton first appears to the reader in the second chapter. When Julia looks at Michael's photo, she begins to remember his youth. As a young man, Michael worked at the Jimmie Langton theatre.

The author thus describes Jimmie Langton: « Jimmie Langton, a fat, bald-headed, rubicund man of forty-five, who looked like one of Rubens' prosperous burghers, had a passion for the theatre. He was an eccentric, arrogant, exuberant, vain and charming fellow. He loved acting, but his physique prevented him from playing any but a few parts, which was fortunate, for he was a bad actor».

But even though Jimmie Langton is a bad actor, he was a good Director: «His ear was perfect, and though he could not produce the right intonation himself he would never let a false one pass in anyone else». He was also a very tough leader. The author describes it this way: «He worked his company hard. They rehearsed every morning from ten till two, when he sent them home to learn their parts and rest before the evening's performance. He bullied them, he screamed at them, he mocked them. He underpaid them. But if they played a moving scene well he cried like a child, and when they said an amusing line as he wanted it said he bellowed with laughter. He would skip about the stage on one leg if he was pleased, and if he was angry would throw the script down and stamp on it while tears of rage ran down his cheeks».

The Dating scene of Jimmie and Julia's is also shown in the second chapter. Julia was then 18 years old, and she toured the provinces with melodrama, where she played an Italia- adventurer. And Jimmie was on vacation at the time, traveling around the cities, visiting theaters. On one of these trips he met Julia. After the performance he went backstage and there I met Julia. He was well enough known in the theatrical world for her to be flattered by the compliments he paid her, and when he asked her to lunch with him next day she accepted.

So they met, and Jimmie invited Julia to his theater.