The Tragic Muse

f the frankest "Delighted to see you, my dear Bid!" There was no kissing, but there was cousinship in the air, of a conscious, living kind, as Gabriel Nash doubtless quickly noted, ho

hom he had just come across, and Sherringham acknowledged the act by saying to Mr. Nash, but a

procession or an army at the theatre. It's a sordid economy that ought to have been managed better. The right thing would be just one appearance, and the procession, regardless of expense, for ever and for ever different." The company was occupied in placing i

om him and said to her broth

el Nash, appearing to wo

and Julia wants you to

What names to be sure!" Gabriel

" Nick absently said. "Nash, please sit b

tly. "Every one wants you. Haven't you heard from

hat was on it. "Upon my word I don't reme

and afterwards some galantine. Here'

said Peter Sherringham, to whom the

s'il vous pla?t. My dear fellow, how can I stand

" Grace began, but immediat

ed. "Nash, I recommend you the asparagus-tips.

've breakfasted-I'm n

ul ladies? Try agai

and the seat's certain," Lady Agnes pursued, not appa

es down!" her elder

't go down!" Nick

f she failed to recognise her brother's allusion. In reality this was an innocent trick: she was more curious t

ing that she had asked for a description. "Strange eccentric, almost r

respond: "Oh all that?" But meanwhile Peter Sherringham sai

es appeared to answer, "No, no, not I"; upon which his cousin rejoined: "Of course

ou!" Lady Agnes said. "There are sure to be tele

sked; and as his mother made no answer he c

; but her gain was small, for this gentleman, struck again by the unhappy name of the bere

agine you've never been there. It's a very good place in

ening with interest. "But I thoug

many of us. There are plenty of

n," Lady Agnes said to Nas

h it's all right; they come down on you like a

money to get into that awful pla

place?" Lady Agne

ommons. That you don

me!" Nick cried; while his mother looked at him with an eye t

pocket-boroughs were?"

, boroughs that filled your pocket. To do that

her, who flushed perceptibly. "What do you advise me? I'l

dear--!" Lady

t to Mr. Nash. She's of excellent

. "The lady first-the lady first! I've not a

to do," said Lady Agnes anxiously, perceiving a c

ctly lawful in a young lady with a handsome cousin whom she had not seen for more than a year. But her sweet voice now to

r," the personage impugned pro

what?" Lady A

er a moment. "To anything e

ladyship in a tone that would have bee

I was with just now and in whom you were so good as to express an interest?" Biddy gave a sign of

Biddy inquired, pleased she

choking her off. I consider

sked Peter Sherringham,

the Théatre Fran?ais a greater ins

more that I don't consider the dramatic art a low one. I

I think it's the v

ur fri

in Paris a week ago and whom I've just

; they struck me very much

if they really have anyth

Do you believe in the the

herringham confes

dy had interposed with a sigh. "How I

, Biddy-I vow

irl objected. "Mamma says the

one at the Fran?ais on purpose for a de

ou mak

hem do anythi

atre that believes in

didn't after all I've done for

ad gone to sit by her son, whom she held, with some importunity, in conversation. But hearing the theatre talked of she threw

an? Ah, comedian for comedian

brought forth with spirit: "Think

d Nicholas. "That's perhaps

d to him, by the act of Nick's queer comrade. To draw it back to safer ground he said to this personage: "

her kind, desires to be known by some nom de g

call herself?" Br

Temple, or Gladys Vane-so

n is her

e her the benefit of the prepossessing fact that-to the b

s Rachel Felix,"

t not the talent. The g

wess? Don't you believe

ss?" Biddy asked, still mor

pid, really. If she is

, "if you'll come to-morrow afternoon to Madam

nd it this morning on my return to Paris-asking me to

ion, and dear old Carré has consented to see them and to give one. Ma

it over. "She wishes to make her a little audience-she says she'll do better

ormer?" Mr. Nash continued, appealing to his friend-"will you come with me

ace. "I'll go anywhere with you so that, as I've told

so useful?" Lady Agnes too

dies me,

, Peter," Biddy broke ou

nch actress? Do you want to go up

o see something-t

er way, but she's hardly compa

y too big; and she goes,

er good mother," smiled Mr. Nash. "I t

ddy as if she had her impression of wha

heard her. It's then

Is it the famous Honorine

of our time, taking her altogether. She and I are old pals; she has been so good as to come a

me then. We

f thes

Miriam, Maud, Gladys

latter was bland. "Oh you'll have

sh." This gentleman promised with an inclination, and Peter continued: "But if, as you say, you

del will find her very bad. Her judgements

re!" said Biddy. "I

ook after them," S

Carré judge if the g

she could judge if she reci

e Anglaise recites also in

e isn't

in several more tongu

terested. "Very good-we'll

clever," Biddy w

nent; she has wandered about with he

a lady?" B

e mother's side. On the father's, on the other ha

or ought to be," Sh

cles in her hands; indeed they must have formed her only capital. She was not a woman of business; she turned them, no doubt, to indifferent account; but she sold them piece by piece, and they kept her going while her daughter grew up. It was to this precarious traffic, conducted with extraordinary mystery and delicacy, that, five years ago, in Florence, I was indebted for my acquaintance with her. In those days I used to collect-heaven help me!-I used to pick up rubbish which I could ill afford. It was a little phase-we have our little phases, haven't we?" Mr. Nash asked with childlike trust-"and I've come out on the other side. Mrs. Rooth had an old green pot and I heard of her old green pot. To hear of it was to long for it, so that I went to see it

terest with which she had followed it by saying when Mr. Nash had ceased speaking: "A Jewish stockbroker, a

e poor lady, to smarten it up, has put in an

s to have the unaccommodating, the crushing honour of being a Neville-Nugent of Castle Nugent? That's the high lineage of Maud's mamma. I seem to have heard it mentioned that Rudolf Roth was very versatile and, like most of his species, not unacquainted with the prac

practically addressed these last remarks to them as well as to his other auditors. Lady Agnes looked as if she wondered whom

imagination had seemingly been kindled by the sketch of Miriam Rooth, took up the argument and reminded him that he had a short time before assigned a low place to the dramatic art and had not yet answered the question as to whether he believed in the theatre. Which gave the speaker a further chance. "I don't know that I understand your question; there are different ways of taking it. Do I think it's important? Is that what y

s! Do you think it's a poor and limited form, Ni

h thinks. I've no opi

used to such responsibilities-so few people had ever tested his presence of mind by agreeing with him. "Oh I used to be of your way of

the Théatre Fran?ais, and it was

at Carré-she was still on the stage. Judge of my infatuation, and how I can allow for yours, when I tell

I told her," She

me. She said: 'Vous

t what she

mained very g

t art as hers-do you mean to say you don't consider

their phrases"-Nash spoke with pity. "Dramatic i

we so many sh

eople generally-if they didn't do that poor thing? And reflect that the poor thing enables them to succeed! Of course, always, there are numbers of peop

"and those the actor produces are among the most momentous we know. You'll not persuade me that to watc

and a character in a play-not to say the whole piece: I speak more particularly of modern pieces-is such a wretchedly small pe

theatre," said Peter Sherringham in the manner of a man abreast with the

e before such a tribunal as that! There's not even a question of it. The dramatist wouldn't if he could, and in nine cases out of ten he couldn't if he would. He has to make the basest concessions. One of his principal canons is that he must enable his spectators to catch the suburban trains, which stop at 11.30. What would you think of any other artist-the painter or the novelist-whose governing forces should be the dinner and the suburban trains? The old dramatists didn't defer to them-not so much at least-and that's why they're less and less actable. If they're touched-the large loose men-it's only to be mutilated and trivialised.

ls, Mr. Nash?" Pet

don't go to plays. I read Balzac for instance-I encounter th

s Séraphine in Les Lionnes Pauvres? I was awaiting you

s murmured to her son. But he was listening so attentively to the ot

has made as vivid to me, caused to abide as ineffaceably in my memory

ere, of whitewashers!" Na

yet could but emulate his easy form. "You'd be magnanimous if you thoug

t. "She might be much more

le and questions she had never so much as heard of. Every one else rose, the waiter brought Nicholas the re

ou take an in

I've never seen her I shall find something in her." On which Peter

tain embarrassment in being publicly treated as

she is

r brother exclaimed, laughing

and still more displeasing theories about them, vague portents of perversity on Nick's part and a strange eagerness on Peter's, learned apparently in Paris, to discuss, with a person who had a tone she never had been exposed to, topics irrelevant and uninteresting, almost disgusting, the practical

terposed. "Pardon my reminding you

call on Julia? That's just what

pices at my 'dramatic tea.' This will enable me to return one favour for another. If Mr. Nash is so good as to introduce m

seemed characteristic of him, assenting to any decision that relieved him of the grossness of choice and generally confident that things would turn

a little corner at the emba

st bring him then to-morr

clock-don't

kly with her son. When they came out into the Champs Elysées Nick Dormer, looking round, saw his fri