rous faces. If that can be well
carried out, the effect will be very terrible, and the contrast to
the other crowd (the red and fat crowd--the blood-gorged ones who
look as if they'd been all drinking wine--_red_ wine, as Dickens
says) would be striking.... It's tiresome stuff to read, because
it depends so much on situations. I have been touching the book
up, though, and improved it here and there, I think.

"A letter this morning from the illustrious ---- offering me his
prompt book to look at.... I think I shall borrow the treasure,
why not? Of course he will say that he has produced the play and
all that sort of thing, but what does that matter, if one can
only get one hint out of it?

"The longer we live, the more we see that if we only do our own
work thoroughly well, we can be independent of everything else or
anything that may be said....

"I see in Landry a great deal of Manette--that same vacant gaze
into years gone by when he crouched in his dungeon nursing his
wrongs....

"I shall send you another book soon to put any of your alterations
and additions in--I've added a lot of little things with a few
lines for you--very good, I think, though I say it as shouldn't--I
know you'll laugh! They are perhaps not startlingly original, but
better than the original, anyhow! Here they are--last act!

"'Ah, Robert, pity me. By the recollections of our youth, I
implore you to save my boy! (_Now_ for 'em!)

"'If my voice recalls a tone that ever fell sweetly upon your ear,
have pity on me! If the past is not a blank, if you once loved,
have pity on me!' (Bravo!)

"Now I call that very good, and if the 'If' and the 'pity's' don't
bring down the house, well it's a pity! I pity the pittites.

"... I've just been copying out my part in an account book--a
little more handy to put into one's pocket. It's really very
short, but difficult to act, though, and so is yours. I like this
'piling up' sort of acting, and I am sure you will, when you play
the part. It's restful. 'The Bells' is that sort of thing."

The crafty old Henry! All this was to put me in conceit with my part!

[Illustration: "ELLEN TERRY AS QUEEN KATHERINE IN HENRY VIII"

THE PART PLAYED BY HER AT STRATFORD-UPON-AVON IN 1902
_Copyrighted by Window and Grove_]

_A Letter From Burne-Jones_

Many people put me in conceit with my son, including dear Burne-Jones,
with his splendid gi