ladies' coats for quite a long time.
Mine was copied by Mr. Lucas from a leather coat of Lord Mohun. He is
said to have had it on when he was killed. At any rate there was a
large stab in the back of the coat, and a blood-stain.

"_Nance Oldfield_"

This was my first speculation in play-buying! I saw it acted and
thought I could do something with it. Henry would not buy it, so I
did. He let me do it first in front of a revival of "The Corsican
Brothers," in 1891. It was a great success, although my son and I did
not know a word on the first night and had our parts written out and
pinned all over the furniture! Dear old Mr. Howe wrote to me that
Teddy's performance was "more than creditable; it was exceedingly good
and full of character, and with your own charming performance, the
piece was a great success." Since 1891 I must have played "Nance
Oldfield" hundreds of times, but I never had an Alexander Oldworthy so
good as my own son, although such talented young actors as Martin
Harvey, Laurence Irving, and, more recently, Harcourt Williams, have
all played it with me.

"_Henry VIII._"

Henry's pride as Cardinal Wolsey seemed to eat him. How wonderful he
looked (though not fat and self-indulgent like the pictures of the
real Wolsey) in his flame-coloured robes! He had the silk dyed
specially by the dyers to the Cardinals' College in Rome. Seymour
Lucas designed the clothes. It was a magnificent production, but not
very interesting to me. I played Katherine much better ten years later
at Stratford-on-Avon at the Shakespeare Memorial Festival. I was
stronger then, and more mature. This letter from Burne-Jones about
"Henry VIII." and Henry Irving is delightful. I will not keep it to
myself any longer:

"My dear Lady,

"We went last night to the play (at my Theatre) to see 'Henry
VIII.' Margaret and Mackail and I. It was delicious to go out
again and see mankind, after such evil days. How kind they were to
me no words can say--I went in at a private door and then into a
cosy box and back the same way, swiftly, and am marvellously the
better for the adventure. No you, alas!

"I have written to Mr. Irving just to thank him for his great
kindness in making the path of pleasure so easy, for I go
tremblingly at present. But I could not say to him what I thought
of the Cardinal--a sort of shame keeps one from saying to an
artist what one thinks of his work--but to you I can say how nobly
he