e director, while
expressing great admiration for the excellence of the verse and for
some of the ideas, manifested some doubt as to whether the play was
_actable_. That it was _literary_, he had none whatever; on the
contrary, it seemed to him that from this point of view it compared
favorably with the best of Ayala's plays,--but actable, really
actable, ah! that was another matter!"

"What is the difference, Don Jeronimo? I don't understand."

"Then I will explain, my boy. We, who are behind the scenes, mean by
_actable_ a good play, and by _literary_ a bad one."

"I see!"

"After expressing these doubts, the manager concluded by recommending
certain additional alterations in the third act.

"At last the poet understood,--a really marvelous occurrence, because
poets, who understand everything else and can tell you why the condor
flies so high, who soar to the skies and descend into the abyss and
penetrate the secret thoughts of all created things, are not capable
of realizing that there are times when their works do not please those
who hear them. Our young man, whom we will call Inocencio, received
back his manuscript somewhat peevishly, and for a while nothing
further was heard of him. But at last, doubtless after a good deal of
profound meditation, he presented himself on a certain morning at the
home of Clotilde. I hardly need tell you that he carried his
manuscript under his arm.

"He waited patiently in the parlor while our young friend completed
her toilet, and when at last she made her appearance, she saw before
her a blushing and confused young man, who nevertheless was
pleasant-mannered and fashionably dressed, and who besought with
stammering lips that she would do him the favor of listening while he
read his play. Women, you must know, find a singular pleasure in
playing the role of patroness, especially in regard to young men of
pleasant manners and fashionable dress. So that it is not at all
surprising that Clotilde listened patiently to the play and even
pronounced it acceptable.

"The young man intrusted himself wholly to her guidance, deposited his
manuscript in her pretty hands, as though it were a new-born child,
and she received it like a doting mother, took it under her
protection, and promised to watch over its precious existence and
introduce it to the world. The young man declared that such an
intention was worthy of the noble heart whose fame had already reached
his ears. Clotilde re