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actress； she accompanies it。 Her lips are close； but her throat is
vocal。 None who heard it can forget the speech…within…speech of one
of these comprehensive noises。 It was when the man spoke； for her
further confusion； of the slavery to which she had reduced her
lovers； she followed him； aloof； with a twang of triumph。
If Parisians say； as they do； that she makes a bad Parisienne； it is
because she can be too nearly a woman untamed。 They have accused
her of lack of elegance … in that supper scene of La Dame aux
Camelias； for instance； taking for ill…breeding； in her Marguerite；
that which is Italian merely and simple。 Whether； again； Cyprienne；
in Divorcons； can at all be considered a lady may be a question； but
this is quite unquestionable … that she is rather more a lady； and
not less； when Signora Duse makes her a savage。 But really the
result is not at all Parisian。
It seems possible that the French sense does not well distinguish；
and has no fine perception of that affinity with the peasant which
remains with the great ladies of the old civilisation of Italy； and
has so long disappeared from those of the younger civilisations of
France and England … a paradox。 The peasant's gravity； directness；
and carelessness … a kind of uncouthness which is neither graceless
nor； in any intolerable English sense； vulgar … are to be found in
the unceremonious moments of every cisalpine woman； however elect
her birth and select her conditions。 In Italy the lady is not a
creature described by negatives； as an author who is always right
has defined the lady to be in England。 Even in France she is not
that； and between the Frenchwoman and the Italian there are the
Alps。 In a word； the educated Italian mondaine is； in the sense
（also untranslatable） of singular； insular； and absolutely British
usage； a Native。 None the less would she be surprised to find
herself accused of a lack of dignity。
As to intelligence … a little intelligence is sufficiently dramatic；
if it is single。 A child doing one thing at a time and doing it
completely； produces to the eye a better impression of mental life
than one receives from … well； from a lecturer。
DONKEY RACES
English acting had for some time past still been making a feint of
running the race that wins。 The retort； the interruption； the call；
the reply； the surprise； had yet kept a spoilt tradition of
suddenness and life。 You had； indeed； to wait for an interruption
in dialogue … it is true you had to wait for it； so had the
interrupted speaker on the stage。 But when the interruption came；
it had still a false air of vivacity； and the waiting of the
interrupted one was so ill done； with so roving an eye and such an
arrest and failure of convention； such a confession of a blank； as
to prove that there remained a kind of reluctant and inexpert sense
of movement。 It still seemed as though the actor and the actress
acknowledged some forward tendency。
Not so now。 The serious stage is openly the scene of the race that
loses。 The donkey race is candidly the model of the talk in every
tragedy that has a chance of popular success。 Who shall be last？
The hands of the public are for him； or for her。 A certain actress
who has 〃come to the front of her profession〃 holds； for a time； the
record of delay。 〃Come to the front；〃 do they say？ Surely the
front of her profession must have moved in retreat； to gain upon her
tardiness。 It must have become the back of her profession before
ever it came up with her。
It should rejoice those who enter for this kind of racing that the
record need never finally be beaten。 The possibilities of success
are incalculable。 The play has perforce to be finished in a night；
it is true； but the minor characters； the subordinate actors； can be
made to bear the burden of that necessity。 The principals； or those
who have come 〃to the front of their profession；〃 have an almost
unlimited opportunity and liberty of lagging。
Besides； the competitor in a donkey race is not； let it be borne in
mind； limited to the practice of his own tediousness。 Part of his
victory is to be ascribed to his influence upon others。 It may be
that a determined actor … a man of more than common strength of will
… may so cause his colleague to get on （let us say 〃get on；〃 for
everything in this world is relative）； may so； then； compel the
other actor； with whom he is in conversation； to get on； as to
secure his own final triumph by indirect means as well as by direct。
To be plain； for the sake of those unfamiliar with the sports of the
village； the rider in a donkey race may； and does； cudgel the mounts
of his rivals。
Consider； therefore； how encouraging the prospect really is。 The
individual actor may fail … in fact； he must。 Where two people ride
together on horseback； the married have ever been warned； one must
ride behind。 And when two people are speaking slowly one must needs
be the slowest。 Comparative success implies the comparative
failure。 But where this actor or that actress fails； the great
cause of slowness profits； obviously。 The record is advanced。
Pshaw！ the word 〃advanced〃 comes unadvised to the pen。 It is
difficult to remember in what a fatuous theatrical Royal Presence
one is doing this criticism； and how one's words should go
backwards； without exception； in homage to this symbol of a throne。
It is not long since there took place upon the principal stage in
London the most important event in donkey…racing ever known until
that first night。 A tragedian and a secondary actor of renown had a
duet together。 It was in 〃The Dead Heart。〃 No one who heard it can
possibly have yet forgotten it。 The two men used echoes of one
another's voice； then outpaused each other。 It was a contest so
determined； so unrelaxed； so deadly； so inveterate that you might
have slept between its encounters。 You did sleep。 These men were
strong men； and knew what they wanted。 It is tremendous to watch
the struggle of such resolves。 They had their purpose in their
grasp； their teeth were set； their will was iron。 They were foot to
foot。
And next morning you saw by the papers that the secondary； but still
renowned； actor； had succeeded in sharing the principal honours of
the piece。 So uncommonly well had he done； even for him。 Then you
understood that； though you had not known it； the tragedian must
have been beaten in that dialogue。 He had suffered himself in an
instant of weakness； to be stimulated； he had for a moment … only a
moment … got on。
That night was influential。 We may see its results everywhere； and
especially in Shakespeare。 Our tragic stage was always … well；
different； let us say … different from the tragic stage of Italy and
France。 It is now quite unlike； and frankly so。 The spoilt
tradition of vitality has been explicitly abandoned。 The
interrupted one waits； no longer with a roving eye； but with
something almost of dignity； as though he were fulfilling ritual。
Benvolio and Mercutio outlag one another in hunting after the
leaping Romeo。 They call without the slightest impetus。 One can
imagine how the true Mercutio called … certainly not by rote。 There
must have been pauses indeed； brief and short…breath'd pauses of
listening for an answer； between every nickname。 But the nicknames
were quick work。 At the Lyceum they were quite an effort of memory：
〃Romeo！ Humours！ Madman！ Passion！ Lover！〃
The actress of Juliet； speaking the words of haste； makes her
audience wait to hear them。 Nothing more incongruous than Juliet's
harry of phrase and the actress's leisure of phrasing。 None act；
none speak； as though there were such a thing as impulse in a play。
To drop behind is the only idea of arriving。 The nurse ceases to be
absurd； for there is no one readier with a reply than she。 Or；
rather； her delays are so altered by exaggeration as to lose touch
with Nature。 If it is ill enough to hear haste drawled out； it is
ill； too； to hear slowness out…tarried。 The true nurse of
Shakespeare lags with her news because her ignorant wits are easily
astray； as lightly caught as though they were light； which they are
not； but the nurse of the stage is never simply astray： she knows
beforehand how long she means to be； and never； never forgets what
kind of race is the race she is riding。 The Juliet of the stage
seems to consider that there is plenty of time for her to discover
which is slain … Tybalt or her husband； she is sure to know some
time； it can wait。
A London success； when you know where it lies； is not difficult to
achieve。 Of all things that can be gained by men or women about
their business； there is one thing that can be gained without fear
of failure。 This is time。 To gain time requires so little wit
that； except for competition； every one could be first at the game。
In fact； ti