The record-union., 1897-09-26
A FIRST NIGHT.

1T is easy to see that he thinks Ruth
ven is In bad way"
Then I shall at once get some one
to<tal1e his part"
He says that the mere thought of
such q thing would be sufficient TO send
Ruthven headIong into his grave"
Trotter became excited.
''Thea do you mean to tell me that
I've only a.schoice between murder and
Suicfde?"
Shepherd puts 1t that Ruthven has
been waiting and working all his life
tor such d chance, and that if now he
only gets it to lose it the man will
break his heart and die"
Trotrer threw himself into a chair.
'Ince, you'll drive me mad! I con-
sf1er that I've been badly used all
through When, at your special re-
quest, I offered the part to Ruthven
-"
There is no man upon the English
stage who could act it like him"
Ibid say there was? Good heavens
man, let me speak, When 1 offered the
part to Ruthven, and he accepted it,
there was not a word said about his
being unwell. A few days afterwards,
when the reading is called, he writes
anu says lie Is d little O1 COlOI, Jul
that If 1 will send him his part he will
show at first rehearsal. I send him his
part. First rehearsal comes, and still
no Ruthven! Second rehearsal, and
stillsno Ruthven! Until We have drifted
where we are! Then you ask Shepherd
to go down and see the man, who has
stuck himself in some remote hole in
some remote corner of Scotland-as if
he. had nd fell I1G
what prospect there is of his putting
in an appearance. Shepherd writes that
there is little or none. Then you say
that if 1 take the part away from him
I shall send the man headlong to his
grave"
That's what Shepherd says, not /"
Then I say, Shepherd be hanged! l
have never met the man in my life. I
have never seen him act. know moth
ing about him.
But ! have seen him act, and know
something about him, and I tell you
that in a part Of this particular kind
he would prove that he possesses some
thing very much like genius"
What has that to do with it, if the
mans too i'll to act? You don't pro-
pose, I presume, that he should come
on to the stage the first night without
having attended rehearsal at alp"
What TFotter said was true enough.
And I was quite as anxious for the
success of the play as he could be. AS
he put it:
Anybody would think I was the
only person concerned. It's your play,
not mir e!''
MY dear Trotter, don't hit me-
fI should like tor somebody. I
don't know how long you mean to keep
the stage waiting for rehearsal. I'm
goinga And after rehearsal I intend
to get somebody to take his place"
It was annoying. In writing the
play, throughout it had had Ruthven
in my minds eye. The part of Blaise
Townshend was, in no slight degree,
the play. AS B1aise Townshend had
felt convinced Ruthven would score a
success which would make "a Story of
To-day" the most successful drama I
had given to the public. And now it
appeared that the man was SO i'll that.
unless We postponed the production of
the pfece-which neither Trotter nor I
was disposed to do-the part would
have to be given to some man who, in
all probability, would be no more my
Blaise TownShend than myself should
be-
When We reached the theater and
were hurTying through the passages
which lead from the stage door to the
stage, some one who was standing
there touched Trotter on the arm and
stopped him
Excuse me-Mr. Trotter, I believe?
I am Mr.. Ruthven."
Mr.. Ruthveni"
In his surprise Trotter started back
and almost trod upon my toes. Here
was the man standing at our elbows
who we had supposed was lying on a
bed of sickness 400 miles away My
personal acquaintance with him had
been but slight. 1 had seen him act in
a provincial town, and had been so
struck by his performance that I had
gone behind between acts and obtained
an introduction. During the three or
four days I remained in the town I
had met him twice or thrice AS he
stood in the uncertain light, holding
his hat in his hand, his eyes fixed
wiStfully on Trotter'S countenance,
could not but be struck by the change
in his appearance He appeared to have
shrunk to nothing. He even seemed
to have lost in hight. His light, fragile
figure had so decreased that one felt
that if it decreased much more it would
reach a vanishing point. His face was
worn, and wan, and white. Trotter
stared at him in bewildered amazement
so, indeed, did I.
Il may truly say, Mr.. Ruthven, that
this is an unexpected pleasure I was
under the impression that you were i'll
in bed
Mr.. Ruthven put his hand up to his
brow.
II haven't been quite well.''
Trotter turned to me.
you know Mr. Ince?'
81 ought to-
But he did not seem as though he did.
He looked at me with expresSionless
eyes, as though were an entire stran-
ger. I held out my hand to him.
Surely, Mr.. Ruthven, you have not
forgotten me? I give you my word
that%I have not forgotten you. I would
sooner see you than-anything."
He smiled-or rather 1 should write
that he attempted to smile, because
the attempt was a failure. Trotter
slipped his arm through his.
Mr.. Ruthven, we are already late
for rehearsal May I ask if you have
looked at your part?"
It am letter perfect"
He was. He went through his lines,
cues, and all, without a hitch. But
with what an airI With the air of a
man whose thoughts were far away
of a man who took not the slightest