Note 15 — VIII. A QUIET EVENING.

On a later occasion Mr. Curtis (whose eloquence on the platform and in the press, and whose independent career in politics, are familiar to all Americans and to many English) and Mr. Joseph Harper had a box to see “The Merchant of Venice.” Irving invited them to go behind the scenes, and afterwards to join him at supper in his room at the Brevoort. Mr. Curtis said it was the first time he had been on that side of the foot-lights. “I am not sure whether I regret it or not; I think I am sorry to have the illusion of that last lovely scene at Belmont set aside even for a moment.” While he was talking to Miss Terry in her dress as the Lady of Belmont, Loveday’s men were bringing on some of the scenery of “The Lyons Mail.” Said Harper, “Behind the scenes is always to me a good deal like the ‘tween decks of a ship; the discipline is just as strict, too.” During the evening after supper Mr. Curtis discussed with his host the question of how much an actor may lose himself in a part, and still have full control over it and himself. Irving said circumstances sometimes influenced an actor. An event which had disturbed him during the day might give extra color to his acting at night. In fact an actor is influenced by all sorts of causes,—as all other people are in their daily work,—by health or weather. Sometimes the presence of a friend in front, or some current occurrence of the moment, or piece of bad or good news, might influence him; but, as a rule, after an actor had played a particular part for a long time, he generally played it very much in the same way every night. “There is a story,” he said, “of Kean and Cooper which is to the purpose. A friend met Kean, and told him that on a particular night he was at the theatre, and thought that Kean played Othello better than ever he had seen him play it. ‘Gad, sir,’ he said,’ I thought you would have strangled Iago outright!’ Now we come to the solution of this extra energy which had impressed Kean’s friend. ‘Oh, yes,’ said Kean; ‘it was a Tuesday night, I remember; Cooper tried to get me out of the focus!’ In those days the theatre was lighted with oil lamps, and only at one particular place on the stage could the actors be seen. To be in the light was to be in the focus; and that accounts for the old habit they had of getting into a line along the foot-lights.”