... Miss Ellen
Tree was afterwards called forward. Talfourd came into my room and
heartily shook hands with me and thanked me. He said something about
Mr. Wallack, the stage-manager, wishing him _to go on the stage as
they were calling; but it would not be right_. I said: _'On no account
in the world.'_ He shortly left me, and, as I heard, was made to go
forward to the front of his box and receive the enthusiastic tribute
of the house's grateful delight." How happy he must have been! In
1838, concerning the first night of Sheridan Knowles's play of
"Woman's Wit," Macready writes: "Acted Walsingham in a very crude,
nervous, unsatisfactory way. Avoided a call by going before the
curtain to give out the play; there was very great enthusiasm. Led on
Knowles in obedience to the call of the audience." But Knowles was not
an author only, he was an actor also--he had trod the boards as his
own Master Walter, and in other parts, although he was not included in
the cast of "Woman's Wit." No doubt, from Macready's point of view,
this distinguished his case clearly from that of Talfourd's.
Pages:
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570