Players and Playwrights I Have Known (Volume 1); A Review of the English Stage from 1840 to 1880 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1890. Excerpt: ... 158 PLAYERS AND PLAYWRIGHTS. "With that he wrung my hand warmly, and bade me good-night. "When I got home we went through the musterroll of my liabilities, and to my horror I found they amounted to within a fraction of four hundred pounds. "I did not sleep much that night. "I presented myself according to appointment the next day, and handed the paper over to ' Mac.' "He took it, read it carefully, looked glummer than usual, played the devil's tattoo with his feet, drummed with his fingers on the desk, then got up and strode about the room for a minute or two; at last he burst out abruptly: "' You're sure four hundred pounds will cover everything?' "' Quite sure, ' I replied. "After a moment's pause he went over to his desk and unlocked it, produced his cash-box, unlocked j that also, got out his cheque-book, wrote a cheque, and without another word shoved it into my hand with the list of my liabilities. "The cheque was payable to my order, and was for four hundred and fifty pounds. You remember how grim and grizzled he usually looked? At this moment his face was lighted up with that rare and beautiful smile which at times dignified and almost deified him. "I was dazed, my head was swimming round, a great lump stuck in my throat, and I couldn't articulate a syllable; but instinctively I caught hold of his hand and nearly shook it off; then, without one word, good, bad, or indifferent, I staggered out of the room. "I think if I had stayed a moment longer I must have tumbled down in a heap. I know when I got outside it was some minutes before I could pull myself together. "This godsend didn't come a moment too soon, for as I left the theatre by the stage-door I was arrested for thirty-six pounds. The bold bailiff, however, walked with me round to the bank, a...