Part 34 (1/2)
”Alder, letrearded as eccentric if you go on like that Soe”
”Then they had better not come to my theatre,” said Edward Henry
”All which,” coiveshere bymy coffee”
Admittedly, Edward Henry was nervous Admittedly, he was a provincial in the presence of one of the es in the Empire Nevertheless, he controlled his nervousness, and reflected:
”nobody else fro Moreover, this chap is a mountebank In the Five Towns they would ko to hihty soon add _hiood as he is” He finished with the thought which has inspired e in a desperate crisis: ”The fellow can't eat me”
Then he said aloud:
”I want to ask you a question, Sir John”
”One?”
”One Are you the head of the theatrical profession, or is Sir Gerald Pompey?”
”_Sir_ Gerald Pompey?”
”_Sir_ Gerald Po?”
Sir John Pilgri up, he seized the topmost of an undisturbed pile of daily papers, and feverishly opened it
”Bah!” hehis own behaviour on the stage The origin of his renowned breakfasts lay in the fact that he had once played the part of a led at breakfast with his own affairs and the affairs of the world The stage-breakfast of a e of bankruptcy had appealed to his is of his life
”They've done it just to irritateoff onround the table Then he stopped and gazed at Edward Henry ”This is a political knighthood,” said he ”It has nothing to do with the stage It is not like reed ”But you kno people will talk, Sir John People will be going about this verythat Sir Gerald is at last the head of the theatrical profession I came here for your authoritative opinion I know you're unbiased”
Sir John resumed his chair
”As for Po of them I fancy his heart is excellent I only saw him twice, once in his own theatre, and once in Bond Street I should be inclined to say that on the stage he looks ht to look, and that in the street he ht be mistaken for an actor Hoill that suit you?”
”It's a clue,” said Edward Henry
”Alderman!” exclaimed Sir John, ”I believe that if I didn't keep a firin to like you Have another cup of coffee Chung! Good-bye, Bootood-bye!”
”I only want to know for certain who is the head,” said Edward Henry, ”because I mean to invite the head of the theatrical profession to lay the corner-stone of my new theatre”
”Ah!”
”When do you start on your world's tour, Sir John?”
”I leave Tilbury, withof Tuesday week, by the _Kandahar_ I shall play first at Cairo”
”Hoard!” said Edward Henry ”I meant to ask you to lay the stone on the very next afternoon--Wednesday, that is!”
”Indeed!”
”Yes, Sir John The cereinal!”