The Tragic Muse

's interview with the ladies introduced to her by Gabriel Nash; and in the afternoon, conformab

dering about the room, looked at the votive offerings which converted the little panelled box, decorated in sallow white and gold, into a theatrical museum: the presents, the portraits, the wreaths, the diadems, the letters, framed and glazed, the trophies and tributes and relics collected by Madame Carré during half a century of renown. The profusion of this testimony was hardly more striking than the co

o see most, and her duration, her survival, cheated him agreeably and helped him a little to guess them. His appreciation of the actor's art was so systematic that it had an antiquarian side, and at the risk of representing him as attached to an absurd futility it must be said that he had as yet hardly known a keener regret for anything than for the loss of that antecedent world, and in particular for his having belatedly missed the great comédienne, the light of the French stage in the early years of the century, of whose example and instruction Madame Carré had had the inestimable benefit. She

room of a dentist. Sherringham had seen a great many nervous girls tremble before the same ordeal, and he liked to be kind to them, to say things that would help them to do themselves justice. The probability in a given case was almost overwhelmingly in favour of their having any other talent one could think of in a higher degree than the dramatic; but he could rarely refrain from some care that the occasion shouldn't be, even as against his conscience, too cruel. There were occasions indeed that could scarce be too cruel to punish properly certain examples of presumptuous ineptitude. He remembered what Mr. Nash had said about this blighted maiden, and perceived that though she might be inept she

aughter. "But really you'll find, after you fairl

miles and gestures, as if they were all before the prompter's box. The old actress presented herself to a casual glance as a red-faced, raddled woman in a wig, with beady eyes, a hooked nose, and pretty hands; but Nick Dormer, who had a sense for the over-scored human surface, soon observed that these comparatively gross marks included a great deal of delicate detail-an eyebrow, a nostril, a flitting of expressions, as if a multitude of little facial wires were pulled from within. This accomplished artist had in particular a mouth which was visibly a rare instrument, a pair of lips whose curves and fine corners spoke of a lifetime of "points" unerringly made and verses exquisitely spoken, helping to explain the purity of the sound that issued from them. Her whole countenance had the look of long service-of a thing infinitely worn and used, drawn and stretched to excess, with its elasticity overdone and its springs relaxed, yet religiously preserved and kept in

ing at her, and Mrs. Rooth leaned forward and

throwing back her head. "That's three too many

t," continued Mrs. Rooth,

lt embarrassed and intrusive-there was such an indelicacy in sitting there to watch a poor working-girl's struggle with timidity. There was a momentary confusion; Mrs. Rooth's tears were seen also to flow; Mr. Nash took it gaily, addressing, however, at the same time, the friendliest, most familiar encouragement to his companions, and Peter Sherringham offered to retire with Nick on the spot, should their presence incommode the young lady. But the agitation was over in a minute; Madame Carré motioned Mrs. Rooth out of her seat and took her pl

some p

es of the

if she didn't understan

Italian, German,

on at the recurrence of this announcement. "Does she wish to

ow you how she h

I mean save the right one. Your daughter must have a p

girl, smiling dimly at her hostess. She ap

k it in p

ust as well,"

an actress-you ought

it's to escape from th

ll escape from that," Peter She

her!" said the lady wi

he qualities that strike

Mrs. Rooth declared, el

ard her do Célimène," Gabrie

knows Lady Macbeth and Cl

o work for the French stage or for th

of you, Miss Rooth," Sher

n London-could you introduce

r her first, and hear w

beauty, and I understand

as intelligence s

oetic mind," the

red to observe to Mrs. Rooth; partly because struck with the girl's suitabili

f you would like to see them: she has been done in several styl

," Nick eas

member of Parliam

murmured Mrs. Rooth, look

n questioning the girl "Chère madame, I can do nothing with your daughter: she k

question of where to try," Mrs. Rooth went on. "Into what do I launch

lic: they're so much the mos

s such a rare opening!" Sherrin

It's the private side, the other people-i

Madame Carré declared. "I'm assured by e

r. Nash. "The theatre in our cou

perhaps mademoiselle's the person to do

what can it do for he

struck with the girl's rich type. Miriam Rooth sat in silence while this discussio

en underlined others on the stage. She smiled with large permissiveness on the young aspirant, who appeared not to unders

plained. "Where is the purest tone-where are the highest standards? That's what I ask," the good lady contin

t que ?a?" Madame Carré demanded in

Mrs. Rooth went on, but now smil

part-wouldn't be quite absolutely dreadful. Now, chère madame, how about all that; how about conduct in t

hear and learn everywhere; only they're better done, they're better said, above all they're better taught. The only conduct that concerns

e situations, which I don't think I

ch she would do well to leave

sent a very bad woman-a really bad

very one's immaculately good? Your plays mu

y plays," said

ll be a new era," Sherringham threw in with

A sketch of one of our grand English i

cried before he had time to reply that he wrote nothing but diplomatic memoranda.

d in a cold voice which seemed to hint at a wa

u then. Madame Carré will give you t

e, while the three men sprang up to arrange a place for the performance. Miriam left her seat and looked vaguely about her; then having taken off her hat and given it to her mother she stood on the designated spot with her eyes

r by it. To be too respectable to go where things are done best is in my opinion to be very vicious indeed; and to do them badly in order to preserve your virtue is to fall into a grossness more shocking than any other

mer here has had the great advantage of hearing you ut

find her safeguard in the artistic conscience." But he had no sooner spoken than he was struck with the oddity of their discussing so publicly, and under the poor girl's handsome nose, the conditions which Miss Rooth might find the best for the preservation of her personal integrity. However, the anomaly was light and unoppressive-the echoes of a public discussion of delicate questions seemed to linger so familiarly in

er, was very sure she hadn't at all taken in the great artist's little lesson. Yet this didn't preve

dame Carré brought her to book, giving her the first line of the speech of Clorinde: "Vous ne me fuyez pas, mon enfant, aujourd'hui." But still the girl hesitated, and for an instant appeared to make a vain, convulsive effort. In this convulsion she frowned portentously; her low forehead overhung her eyes; the eyes themselves, in shadow, stared, splendid and cold, and her hands cli

e th

Tragic

felt not to be so. Madame Carré sent back the ball without raising her hand, repeating the speeches of Célie, which her memory possessed from their having so often been addressed to her, and uttering the verses with soft, communicative art. So they went on through the scene, which, when it was over, had not precisely been

very nice person! But above all, Signor Ruggieri-I think he taught us most." Mrs. Rooth explained that this gentleman was an Italian trag

too much," Madame Carré went on; "that's very amusing, but the way to study is to stay at home, to shut yourself up and hammer at your scales." Mrs. Rooth complained that they had no home to stay at; in reply to

's what I ask!"

e?" Sherring

ady shook her head with a

n I shall be able to paint your

take, my dear fellow?

h went on. "My father had a great house th

on to appear," said Peter, feel

ear in

language of

n't study

lessons," Madame Carré explained. "Let me n

gham: an inquiry to which the answer was forestalled by the girl's rousing he

"that's more than I can! By

me little piece of verse-some fable if there were fables in English. She appeared but scantily surprised to hear that there were not-it was a language of which one expected so little. Mrs. Rooth said: "She knows her Tennyson by heart. I think he's much deeper than La Fontaine"; and after some deliberation and delay Miriam broke into "The Lotus-Eaters," from which she passed directly, almost breathlessly, to "Edward Gray." Sherringham had by this time heard her make four different attempts, and the only generalisation very present to him was that she uttered these dissimilar compositions in exactly the same tone-a solemn, droning, dragging measure suggestive of an exhortation from the pulpit and adopted evidently with the "affecting" intention and from a crude idea of "style." It was all funereal, yet was artlessly rough. Sherringham thought her English performance less futile than her French, but he could see that Madame Carré listened to it even with less pleasure.

ost hated to have to recognise them; he had seen them so often when they meant nothing at all that he had come at last to regard them as almost a guarantee of incompetence. He knew Madame Carré valued them singly so little that she counted them out in measuring an histrionic nature; when deprived of the escort of other properties which helped and completed them she almost held them a positive hindrance to success-success of the only kind she esteemed. Far oftener than himself she had sat in judgement on young women for whom hair and eyebrows and a disposition for the statuesque would have worked the miracle of sanctifying their stupidity if the miracle were workable. But that particular miracle never was. The qualities she rated highest were not the gifts but the conquests, the effects the actor had worked hard for, had dug out of the mine by unwearied study. Sherringham remembered to hav

and serenely for a verdict; but fortunately this lady's voluble bonne came rattling in at the same moment with the tea-tray. The old actress busied herself in dispensing this refreshment, an hospitab

see. She's lo

afraid. You mus

ot a bit afraid of her authors-

ed by what that fell

e only told me she

t you thi

dressmaker nor a coiffeur. I can't do anythin

herringham. "And the voice, when she

iously, and I didn't perceive in what she did a single nuance, a single infl

y often seem s

alw

succeed-even when

they always succeed-i

nd us English," sai

"Marry her, my son, and give her diamonds. Mak

ttle that you don't care

o any

her a few

the table on which the tea had been served, she said to Miriam Rooth: "My dear

em well?" as

rude force. The main things sont encore a

has ideas," s

from you," Mada

theatre I'm relieved. I do think ou

angerous,

e more severe,"

," the actress smile

al, plaintively and vaguely, to the three gentlemen; but they had collected

rk!" exclaime

espeare. I want to play Sha

in English you haven't

-and he's so pure!

he saving of you," M

bad, don't you?" the girl de

our age. And if you find your voice it may carry you far. Besides, what

d my voice?" ask

a horse, night and day. Besides, Mr.

turned round and the girl appealed

voice," said

s from the heart; so I suppose that's wher

iam retorted with the first scintillation

y child?" Mr.

t-or any

pect to which Peter's optimism felt engaged by an awkward logic. He answered that he recognised promise, though he did nothing of the sort;-at the same time that the poor girl, both with the exaggerated "points" of her person and the vanity of her attempt at expression, constituted a kind of challenge, struck him as a subject for inquiry, a problem, an explorable tract. She was too bad to jump at and yet too "taking"-perhaps after all only vu

Madame Carré, and I'm sure we're immensely indebted to him," Mrs.

laying her finger-tips upon her hand. "Madame Carré listens to me with adorable p

e. A la bonne heure; work-work!" the actress cried. "There was a

our mother will be so kind as to

ns-do you understa

d I've an unbounded beli

. You'll always find her so. Perhaps you'll say there are less honourable faults. We'll come to see you with pleasure.

with me to-morrow. Perhaps you

of the dear old tim

do better to-morrow," Mir

gham returned-and he looked at their

r voice," Madame

a friend!" Mrs.

that you'll come and see me," Nick Dormer said to th

even two," sa

iriam looked with very good stage-scorn at

drive you home; you kno

u home; why not?"

taken their hats and stood ready to accompany her. A deeper expression came for an instant into her hard, brigh