The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Big Drum, by Arthur Pinero

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Title: The Big Drum
A Comedy in Four Acts

Author: Arthur Pinero

Release Date: July 6, 2008 [EBook #25984]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BIG DRUM ***

Produced by K Nordquist, Branko Collin and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)

_The Big Drum_

_THE PLAYS OF ARTHUR W. PINERO_

Paper cover, 1s. 6d.; cloth, 2s. 6d. each

_THE TIMES_
_THE PROFLIGATE_
_THE CABINET MINISTER_
_THE HOBBY-HORSE_[1]
_LADY BOUNTIFUL_
_THE MAGISTRATE_
_DANDY DICK_
_SWEET LAVENDER_
_THE SCHOOLMISTRESS_
_THE WEAKER SEX_
_THE AMAZONS_[1]
_THE SECOND MRS. TANQUERAY_[1]
_THE NOTORIOUS MRS. EBBSMITH_
_THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT_[1]
_THE PRINCESS AND THE BUTTERFLY_
_TRELAWNY OF THE "WELLS"_
_THE GAY LORD QUEX_[2]
_IRIS_
_LETTY_
_A WIFE WITHOUT A SMILE_
_HIS HOUSE IN ORDER_[1]
_THE THUNDERBOLT_
_MID-CHANNEL_
_THE "MIND THE PAINT" GIRL_

THE PINERO BIRTHDAY BOOK

SELECTED AND ARRANGED BY MYRA HAMILTON
With a Portrait, cloth extra, price 2s. 6d.

_LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN_

[1] This Play can be had in library form, 4to, cloth, with a
portrait, 5s.

[2] A Limited Edition of this play on hand-made paper, with a
new portrait, 10s, net.

_The Big Drum_

_A COMEDY_

_In Four Acts_

_By_

_ARTHUR PINERO_

_"The desire of fame betrays an ambitious
man into indecencies that lessen his
reputation; he is still afraid lest any of
his actions should be thrown away in
private."_

ADDISON

_LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN_
_MCMXV_

_Copyright 1915, by Arthur Pinero_

_This play was Produced in London, at the
St. James's Theatre, on Wednesday,
September 1, 1915_

_PREFACE_

The Big Drum is published exactly as it was written, and as it was
originally performed. At its first representation, however, the
audience was reported to have been saddened by its "unhappy ending."
Pressure was forthwith put