Part 16 (2/2)

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”I could a tail unfold!”--_Ibid._]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”What a falling off was there!”--_Ibid._]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”Methinks I scent the morning hair!”--_Ibid._]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”Brief let me be!”--_Ibid._]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”Lend thy serious ear-ring to what I shall unfold!”--Act I., Sc. 5.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”Toby, or not Toby? that is the question.”--Act II., Sc.

2.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”The King, sir.”--”Ay, sir, what of him?”--”Is in his retirement marvellous distempered.”--”With drink, sir!”--”No, my lord, rather with collar!”--Act III., Sc. 2.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”Oh, my offence is rank!”--Act III., Sc. 3.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”Put your bonnet to his right use--'tis for the head.”--Act V., Sc. 2.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ”COMING EVENTS CAST THEIR SHADOWS BEFORE THEM.”

_Domesticated Wife._ ”Oh, George, I wish you'd just----”

_Talented Husband_ (_author of various successful comic songs for music halls, writer of pantomimes and variety-show libretti_). ”Oh, for goodness sake, Lucy, don't bother me _now_! You might _see_ I'm trying to work out some _quite_ new lines for the fairy in the transformation scene of the pantomime!”]

[Ill.u.s.tration: A SENSITIVE EAR.

_Intelligent Briton._ ”But we have no theatre, no actors worthy of the name, mademoiselle! Why, the English delivery of blank verse is simply torture to an ear accustomed to hear it given its full beauty and significance by a Bernhardt or a Coquelin!”

_Mademoiselle._ ”Indeed? I have never heard Bernhardt or Coquelin recite English blank verse!”

_Intelligent Briton._ ”Of course not. I mean _French_ blank verse--the blank verse of Corneille, Racine, Moliere!”

_Mademoiselle._ ”Oh, monsieur, there is no such thing!”

[_Briton still tries to look intelligent._

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