The Argosy — page 399: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

376 A Dramatic Critique, and what Came of It. ldoking out vaguely at the quiet suburban street, where the soft spring rain was falling, and an organ was grinding ‘‘Il Balen” out of tune. “Ves,” she acquiesced, “ but I wish he had a little more tact and patience. He has offended everyone behind the curtain.” ‘He belongs to the ‘irritable race of poets,’” Mrs. Sylvester replied, with a smile. ‘‘We must not expect him to be a philosopher as well. I think I will go and see how he is,” she added, laying her book aside. , | “Don’t go,” Edith interposed quickly, drawing back from the window with a sudden accession of colour to her cheeks, as a hansom stopped at the door.: ‘‘ Here is Mr. Dane.” But her mother had already left the room. 7 A few seconds afterwards the visitor was ushered in. A tall, well- built man, of five-and-thirty, with handsome but somewhat stern features ; a short brown beard and moustache, and dark, penetrating eyes, which could: soften into tenderness on’ occasion, though, as a rule, they lookéd at-the’ world proudly and seine defiantly, as if they ‘cared not for its smile nor frown.” °» s He greeted her with the ease of an old acquaintance, «ni took up his position with: one elbow on the chimney-piece, while Edith, throwing off her hat, subsided into a low chair by the-hearth. ‘‘ Well,” he began, ‘how did the’rehearsal go this morning ?” . Fairly well,” she answered, ‘‘but Mr.‘ Hope does not seem wery sanguine’ of success.’ “Does not he? But he is not of a sanguine dispoditian In apite of his name. I see no reason why it should not succeed, though”— he paused, absently examining a Dresden china pug on the mantel- shelf, *‘I think it would have been better if Claud had chosen a less ambitious subject.” , Edith looked anxious. ‘‘ He has set all his hopes on it, poor lad. If it fails the disappointment will crush him.” ) “Crush him? Nonsense!” returned her companion, cheerfully. “He must not expect to reach a pinnacle of fame fer salt. Success is seldom won without rebuffs and: disappointments, as you yourself have experienced. To say the truth, Claud needs a little discipline of that sort. You have spoilt him.” She made no answer, but her face expressed dissent. “Ts it true that you have written for the pre reign ?” she: inquired presently. ‘3 He tossed back his head arith a hearty, veniil iatbhe ‘“T’wonder what good-natured friend of mine told you that? Yes, it is true. Long ago—in«my ‘boyish: days—I: too wrote a tragedy, which I believe I considered one of the finest productions of the age, but the public was of a distinctly’ different opinion. . However, the failure did not crush me. It merely decided me to turn my energies in a different direction.” Eomichbooks. Go