ompany before, or at, the end of the
season, and while I never worked with her, later on I privately received
such gracious courtesies from her kindly hands that the name of Agnes
Ethel must ever ring pleasantly in my ears.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVENTH

A Study of Stage-Management--I Am Tricked into Signing a New Contract.

Before I came under the management of Mr. Daly, I may say I never really
knew what stage-management meant. He was a young man then; he had had, I
believe, his own theatre but one season before I joined his forces, yet
his judgment was as ripe, his decisions were as swift and sure, his eye
for effect was as true, his dramatic instinct as keen as well could be.

We never exchanged so much as a frown, let alone a hasty word, over work.
I realized that he had the entire play before his "mind's eye," and when
he told me to do a thing, I should have done it, even had I not
understood why he wished it done. But he always gave a reason for things,
and that made it easy to work under him.

His attention to tiny details amazed me. One morning, after Mr. Crisp had
joined the company, he had to play a love-scene with me, and the
"business" of the scene required him to hold me some time in his embrace.
But Mr. Crisp's embrace did not suit Mr. Daly--no more did mine. Out he
went, in front, and looked at us.

"Oh," he cried, "confound it! Miss Morris, relax--relax! lean on him--he
won't break! That's better--but lean more! lean as if you needed support!
What? Yes, I know you don't need it--but you're in love, don't you see?
and you're not a lady by a mile or two! For God's sake, Crisp, don't be
so stiff and inflexible! Here, let me show you!"

Up Mr. Daly rushed on to the stage, and taking Crisp's place, convulsed
the company with his effort at acting the lover. Then back again to the
front, ordering us to try that embrace again.

"That's better!" he cried; "but hold her hand closer, tighter! not quite
so high--oh, that's too low! Don't poke your arm out, you're not going to
waltz. What in ---- are you scratching her back for?"

It was too much; in spite of the awe in which Mr. Daly was held,
everyone, Crisp included, screamed with laughter, while Mr. Daly fumed
and fretted over the time that was being wasted.

One of my early experiences of his way of directing a rehearsal made a
deep impression upon me. In the play of "Jezebel" I had the title part.
There were a number of characters on in the scene