sed him somewhat as follows: 'Would not the respected
audience have recognised our good So-and-so' (he mentioned the
manager's name here), 'just as readily as I did myself at the first
glance? Is it possible to base the power of deception on a coat cut in
a particular fashion, or on a more or less frizzled wig? and in this
way to stuff out a meagre talent, unsupported by any vigour of
intelligence, like a child deserted by its nurse? The young man who is
trying to pass himself off upon me, in this unskilled manner, as a
many-sided artist, a chameleontic genius, need not gesticulate so
immoderately with his hands, nor fold himself up like a pocketknife
after each of his speeches, nor roll his r's so fearfully; and if he
had not done so, I believe that a highly-prized audience (any more than
I myself) would not have recognised our little manager in one instant,
as has been the case now, to such an extent that it is pitiable. But,
inasmuch as the piece has got to go on for another half-hour, I shall
conduct myself, this once more, as if I didn't see it; although the
affair is terribly tedious and uncongenial to me.' Be it enough to say
that upon each fresh entrance of the manager, the old fellow ridiculed
his acting in the most delicious manner; and it may be fancied that
this was accompanied by the most ringing laughter of the audience;
whilst the best part of it all was that the manager, completely
absorbed in his numerous changes of costume, was absolutely unconscious
of what was going forward till the very last scene. Perhaps the old
fellow may have made a wicked compact with the theatre tailor; but it
is a fact that the wretched manager's wardrobe had got into the most
complete confusion, so that the intermediate scenes which the old man
had to fill out lasted much longer than usual, giving him time enough
to let the fulness of his bitter mockery of the poor manager stream
forth in all its glory, and even to imitate his manner of speaking,
saying many things with a wicked verity which sent the audience out of
itself. The whole piece was turned topsy-turvy, so that the stop-gap
intermediate scenes became the principal and important part of the
business. It was delightful, too, how the old fellow sometimes told the
audience beforehand how the manager was going to appear, mimicking his
gestures and attitudes; and that he attributed the ringing laughter,
which really belonged to the old fellow's admirable imitation of him,