ome over as soon
as possible." I wired that I would endeavour to do so. A wire came in
response, "Terribly weak--please come." I started on the evening of
Tuesday, October 16th. On Wednesday morning I went to see him about
10.30. He was in very good spirits; and though he assured me his
sufferings were dreadful, at the same time he shouted with laughter and
told many stories against the doctors and himself. I stayed until 12.30
and returned about 4.30, when Oscar recounted his grievances about the
Harris play. Oscar, of course, had deceived Harris about the whole
matter--as far as I could make out the story--Harris wrote the play
under the impression that only Sedger had to be bought off at L100,
which Oscar had received in advance for the commission; whereas Kyrle
Bellew, Louis Nethersole, Ada Rehan, and even Smithers, had all given
Oscar L100 on different occasions, and all threatened Harris with
proceedings--Harris, therefore, only gave Oscar L50 on account,[59] as
he was obliged to square these people first--hence Oscar's grievance.
When I pointed out to him that he was in a much better position than
formerly, because Harris, at any rate, would eventually pay off the
people who had advanced money and that Oscar would eventually get
something himself, he replied in the characteristic way, "Frank has
deprived me of my only source of income by taking a play on which I
could always have raised L100."

I continued to see Oscar every day until I left Paris. Reggie and myself
sometimes dined or lunched in his bedroom, when he was always very
talkative, although he looked very ill. On October 25th, my brother
Aleck came to see him, when Oscar was in particularly good form. His
sister-in-law, Mrs. Willie, and her husband, Texeira, were then passing
through Paris on their honeymoon, and came at the same time. On this
occasion he said he was "dying above his means" ... he would never
outlive the century ... the English people would not stand him--he was
responsible for the failure of the Exhibition, the English having gone
away when they saw him there so well-dressed and happy ... all the
French people knew this, too, and would not stand him any more.... On
October the 29th, Oscar got up for the first time at mid-day, and after
dinner in the evening insisted on going out--he assured me that the
doctor had said he might do so and would not listen to any protest.

I had urged him to get up some days before as the doctor said he