ilizes his own comic or tragic gifts, as is witnessed in Shakespeare,
Moliere, and a hundred others." To think that we do not know whether
Shakespeare was "a true comedian," and that it is not unlikely that he
was a poor actor! The lady is wise not to attempt to name the "hundred
others" presumably _ejusdem generis_ with Shakespeare and Moliere.
"There have always been, since the beginning of the ages, mimics and
improvisators who did without the text of others." Possibly this is true
but it does not follow that there are many players who could hold an
audience by their mimicry or improvisations; not a few of the greatest
actors and actresses might starve if they had to rely upon their own
ideas. It is even notorious that some of our most illustrious actors
have had their brilliant after-dinner impromptu speeches written for
them.

After reading the whole letter one may hint that Guilbert's own ideas
might not serve her very well if she tried to appear as improvisator.

CHAPTER XIII

MISCELLANEOUS

Finance in Plays

It is to be hoped that the title will not be misunderstood. The finance
_of_ plays is quite another story, often an ugly story, sometimes with a
comic aspect, and frequently disclosed in a bankruptcy or a winding-up.
Occasionally in pieces supposed to be quite modern we are told,
incorrectly, a good deal about the way in which plays are financed,
which does not mean the mode of spending money on the production and
performance of dramas and in keeping theatres open--or closed--but the
method of raising money for theatrical enterprises. Certainly, the
subject is worthy of consideration, and some day we hope to handle it
almost adequately. The remarks, however, concern the ideas of general
finance exhibited by authors. Mr Sutro's drama _The Perfect Lover_ set
us thinking. No doubt the title does not suggest money, nor, indeed,
does it give an idea of the real subject of the drama. In his new work
the author preaches a sermon about the corrupting influence of wealth
and the desire for it. As business men, in a sort of second-hand way,
most of us were interested in the talk concerning money.

Everything turns upon the fact that Willie, the wicked solicitor, wishes
to buy the Cardew estates, which (though the property of a noble family)
happen to be unsettled, because he has discovered that there is coal
under them, and therefore scents a fortune in the purchase. The moment
that the word "coal" is m