the ways of men-第3节

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　and　　Coquelin　gave　to　the　original　production。

Rumors　of　the　success　attained　by　this　play　in　Paris　soon　　floated　across　to　us。　　The　two　or　three　French　booksellers　　here　could　not　import　the　piece　fast　enough　to　meet　the　ever　　increasing　demand　of　our　reading　public。　　By　the　time　spring　　came；　there　were　few　cultivated　people　who　had　not　read　the　　new　work　and　discussed　its　original　language　and　daring　　treatment。

On　arriving　in　Paris；　my　first　evening　was　passed　at　the　Porte　　St。　Martin。　　After　the　piece　was　over；　I　dropped　into　　Coquelin's　dressing…room　to　shake　this　old　acquaintance　by　the　　hand　and　give　him　news　of　his　many　friends　in　America。

Coquelin　in　his　dressing…room　is　one　of　the　most　delightful　of　　mortals。　　The　effort　of　playing　sets　his　blood　in　motion　and　　his　wit　sparkling。　　He　seemed　as　fresh　and　gay　that　evening　as　　though　there　were　not　five　killing　acts　behind　him　and　the　　fatigue　of　a　two…hundred…night　run；　uninterrupted　even　by　　Sundays；　added　to　his　〃record。〃

After　the　operation　of　removing　his　historic　nose　had　been　　performed　and　the　actor　had　resumed　his　own　clothes　and　　features；　we　got　into　his　carriage　and　were　driven　to　his　　apartment　in　the　Place　de　l'Etoile；　a　cosy　museum　full　of　　comfortable　chairs　and　priceless　bric…a…brac。　　The　　conversation　naturally　turned　during　supper　on　the　piece　and　　this　new　author　who　had　sprung　in　a　night　from　obscurity　to　a　　globe…embracing　fame。　　How；　I　asked；　did　you　come　across　the　　play；　and　what　decided　you　to　produce　it？

Coquelin's　reply　was　so　interesting　that　it　will　be　better　to　　repeat　the　actor's　own　words　as　he　told　his　tale　over　the　　dismantled　table　in　the　tranquil　midnight　hours。

〃I　had；　like　most　Parisians；　known　Rostand　for　some　time　as　　the　author　of　a　few　graceful　verses　and　a　play　（LES　　ROMANESQUES）which　passed　almost　unnoticed　at　the　Francais。

〃About　four　years　ago　Sarah　Bernhardt　asked　me　to　her　‘hotel'　　to　hear　M。　Rostand　read　a　play　he　had　just　completed　for　her。　　　I　accepted　reluctantly；　as　at　that　moment　we　were　busy　at　the　　theatre。　　I　also　doubted　if　there　could　be　much　in　the　new　　play　to　interest　me。　　It　was　LA　PRINCESSE　LOINTAINE。　　I　shall　　remember　that　afternoon　as　long　as　I　live！　　From　the　first　　line　my　attention　was　riveted　and　my　senses　were　charmed。　　　What　struck　me　as　even　more　remarkable　than　the　piece　was　the　　masterly　power　and　finish　with　which　the　boyish　author　　delivered　his　lines。　　Where；　I　asked　myself；　had　he　learned　　that　difficult　art？　　The　great　actress；　always　quick　to　　respond　to　the　voice　of　art；　accepted　the　play　then　and　there。

〃After　the　reading　was　over　I　walked　home　with　M。　Rostand；　and　　had　a　long　talk　with　him　about　his　work　and　ambitions。　　When　　we　parted　at　his　door；　I　said：　‘In　my　opinion；　you　are　　destined　to　become　the　greatest　dramatic　poet　of　the　age；　I　　bind　myself　here　and　now　to　take　any　play　you　write　（in　which　　there　is　a　part　for　me）　without　reading　it；　to　cancel　any　　engagements　I　may　have　on　hand；　and　produce　your　piece　with　　the　least　possible　delay。'　An　offer　I　don't　imagine　many　young　　poets　have　ever　received；　and　which　I　certainly　never　before　　made　to　any　author。

〃About　six　weeks　later　my　new　acquaintance　dropped　in　one　　morning　to　read　me　the　sketch　he　had　worked　out　for　a　drama；　　the　title　role　of　which　he　thought　would　please　me。　　I　was　　delighted　with　the　idea；　and　told　him　to　go　ahead。　　A　month　　later　we　met　in　the　street。　　On　asking　him　how　the　play　was　　progressing；　to　my　astonishment　he　answered　that　he　had　　abandoned　that　idea　and　hit　upon　something　entirely　different。　　　Chance　had　thrown　in　his　way　an　old　volume　of　Cyrano　de　　Bergerac's　poems；　which　so　delighted　him　that　he　had　been　　reading　up　the　life　and　death　of　that　unfortunate　poet。　　From　　this　reading　had　sprung　the　idea　of　making　Cyrano　the　central　　figure　of　a　drama　laid　in　the　city　of　Richelieu；　d'Artagnan；　　and　the　PRECIEUSES　RIDICULES；　a　seventeenth…century　Paris　of　　love　and　duelling。

〃At　first　this　idea　struck　me　as　unfortunate。　　The　elder　Dumas　　had　worked　that　vein　so　well　and　so　completely；　I　doubted　if　　any　literary　gold　remained　for　another　author。　　It　seemed　　foolhardy　to　resuscitate　the　THREE　GUARDSMEN　epoch　…　and　I　　doubted　if　it　were　possible　to　carry　out　his　idea　and　play　an　　intense　and　pathetic　role　disguised　with　a　burlesque　nose。

〃This　contrasting　of　the　grotesque　and　the　sentimental　was　of　　course　not　new。　　Victor　Hugo　had　broken　away　from　classic　　tradition　when　he　made　a　hunchback　the　hero　of　a　drama。　　There　　remained；　however；　the　risk　of　our　Parisian　public　not　　accepting　the　new　situation　seriously。　　It　seemed　to　me　like　　bringing　the　sublime　perilously　near　the　ridiculous。

〃Fortunately；　Rostand　did　not　share　this　opinion　or　my　doubts。　　　He　was　full　of　enthusiasm　for　his　piece　and　confident　of　its　　success。　　We　sat　where　we　had　met；　under　the　trees　of　the　　Champs　Elysees；　for　a　couple　of　hours；　turning　the　subject　　about　and　looking　at　the　question　from　every　point　of　view。　　　Before　we　parted　the　poet　had　convinced　me。　　The　role；　as　he　　conceived　it；　was　certainly　original；　and　therefore　tempting；　　opening　vast　possibilities　before　my　dazzled　eyes。

〃I　found　out　later　that　Rostand　had　gone　straight　home　after　　that　conversation　and　worked　for　nearly　twenty　hours　without　　leaving　the　study；　where　his　wife　found　him　at　daybreak；　fast　　asleep　with　his　head　on　a　pile　of　manuscript。　　He　was　at　my　　rooms　the　next　day　before　I　was　up；　sitting　on　the　side　of　my　　bed；　reading　the　result　of　his　labor。　　As　the　story　unfolded　　itself　I　was　more　and　more　delighted。　　His　idea　of　　resuscitating　the　quaint　interior　of　the　Hotel　de　Bourgogne　　Theatre　was　original；　and　the　balcony　scene；　even　in　outline；　　enchanting。　　After　the　reading　Rostand　dashed　off　as　he　had　　come；　and　for　many　weeks　I　saw　no　more　of　him。

〃LA　PRINCESSE　LOINTAINE　was；　in　the　meantime；　produced　by　　Sarah；　first　in　London　and　then　in　Paris。　　In　the　English　　capital　it　was　a　failure；　with　us　it　gained　a　SUCCES　D'ESTIME；　　the　fantastic　grace　and　lightness　of　the　piece　saving　it　from　　absolute　shipwreck　in　the　eyes　of　the　literary　public。

〃Between　ourselves；〃　continued　Coquelin；　pushing　aside　his　　plate；　a　twinkle　in　his　small　eyes；　〃is　the　reason　of　this　　lack　of　success　very　difficult　to　discover？　　The　Princess　in　　the　piece　is　supposed　to　be　a　fairy　enchantress　in　her　　sixteenth　year。　　The　play　turns　on　her　youth　and　innocence。　　　Now；　honestly；　is　Sarah；　even　on　the　stage；　any　one's　ideal　of　　youth　and　innocence？〃　　This　was　asked　so　naively　that　I　burst　　into　a　laugh；　in　which　my　host　joined　me。　　Unfortunately；　this　　grandmamma；　like　Ellen　Terry；　cannot　be　made　to　understand　　that　there　are　roles　she　should　leave　alone；　that　with　all　the　　illusions　the　stage　lends　she　can　no　longer　play　girlish　parts　　with　success。

〃The　failure　of　his　play　produced　the　most　disastrous　effect　　on　Rostand；　who　had　given　up　a　year　of　his　life　to　its　　composition　and　was　profoundly　chagrined　by　its　fall。　　He　sank　　into　a　mild　melancholy；　refusing　for　more　than　eighteen　months　　to　put　pen　to　paper。　　On　the　rare　occasions　when　we　met　I　　urged　him　to　pull　himself　together　and　rise　above　　disappointment。　　Little　by　little；　his　friends　were　able　to　　awaken　his　dormant　interest　and　get　him　to　work　again　on　　CYRANO。　　As　he　slowly　regained　confidence　and　began　taking　　pleasure　once　more　in　his　work；　the　boyish　author　took　to　　dropping　in　on　me　at　impossible　morning　hours　to　read　some　　scene　hot　from　his　ardent　brain。　　When　seated　by　my　bedside；　　he　declaimed　his　lines　until；　lit　at　his　flame；　I　would　jump　　out　of　bed；　and　wrapping　my　dressing…gown　hastily　around　me；　　seize　the　manuscript　out　of　his　hands；　and；　before　I　knew　it；　　find　my　self　addressing　imaginary　audiences；　poker　in　hand；　in　　lieu　of　a　sword；　with　any　hat　that　came　to　hand　doing　duty　for　　the　plumed　headgear　of　our　hero。　　Little　by　little；　line　upon　　line；　the　masterpiece　grew　under　his　hands。　　My　career　as　an　　actor　has　thrown　me　in　with　many　forms　of　literary　industry　　and　dogged　application；　but　the　power　of　sustained　effort　and　　untiring；　unflagging　zeal　possessed　by　that　fragile　youth　　surpassed　anything　I　had　seen。

〃As　the　work　began　taking　form；　Rostand　hired　a　place　in　the　　country；　so　that　no　visitors　or　invitations　might　tempt　him　　away　from　his　daily　toil。　　Rich；　young；　handsome；　married　to　a　　woman　all　Paris　was　admiring；　with　every　door；　social　or　　Bohemian；　wide　open　before　his　birth　and　talent；　he　　voluntarily　shut　himself　up　for　over　a　year　in　a　dismal　　suburb；　allowing　no　amusement　to　disturb　his　incessant　toil。　　　Mme。　Rostand　has　since　told　me　that　at　one　time　she　seriously　　feared　for　his　reason　if　not　for　his　life；　as　he　averaged　ten　　hours　a　day　steady　work；　and　when　the　spell　was　on　him　would　　pass　night　after　night　at　his　study　table；　rewriting；　cutting；　　modelling　his　play；　never　contented；　always　striving　after　a　　more　expressive　adjective；　a　more　harmonious　or　original　　rhyme；　casting　aside　a　month's　finished　work　without　a　second　　thought　when　he　judged　that　another　form　expressed　his　idea　　more　perfectly。

〃That　no　success　is　cheaply　bought　I　have　long　known；　my　　profession　above　all　others　is　calculated　to　teach　one　that　　truth。

〃