按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
die in bed； but stage people don't。 They like to die on the floor。 We all
have our different tastes。
The adventuress herself is another person who dies with remarkable
ease。 We suppose in her case it is being so used to it that makes her so
quick and clever at it。 There is no lingering illness and doctors' bills and
upsetting of the whole household arrangements about her method。 One
walk round the stage and the thing is done。
All bad characters die quickly on the stage。 Good characters take a
long time over it； and have a sofa down in the drawing…room to do it on；
and have sobbing relatives and good old doctors fooling around them； and
can smile and forgive everybody。 Bad stage characters have to do the
whole job； dying speech and all； in about ten seconds； and do it with all
their clothes on into the bargain； which must make it most uncomfortable。
It is repentance that kills off the bad people in plays。 They always
repent； and the moment they repent they die。 Repentance on the stage
seems to be one of the most dangerous things a man can be taken with。
Our advice to stage wicked people would undoubtedly be； 〃Never repent。
If you value your life； don't repent。 It always means sudden death！〃
To return to our adventuress。 She is by no means a bad woman。
There is much good in her。 This is more than proved by the fact that she
learns to love the hero before she dies； for no one but a really good woman
capable of extraordinary patience and gentleness could ever； we are
convinced； grow to feel any other sentiment for that irritating ass； than a
desire to throw bricks at him。
The stage adventuress would be a much better woman； too； if it were
not for the heroine。 The adventuress makes the most complete
28
… Page 29…
STAGE…LAND。
arrangements for being noble and self…sacrificingthat is； for going away
and never coming back； and is just about to carry them out； when the
heroine； who has a perfect genius for being in the wrong place at the right
time； comes in and spoils it all。 No stage adventuress can be good while
the heroine is about。 The sight of the heroine rouses every bad feeling in
her breast。
We can sympathize with her in this respect。 The heroine often affects
ourselves in precisely the same way。
There is a good deal to be said in favor of the adventuress。 True； she
possesses rather too much sarcasm and repartee to make things quite
agreeable round the domestic hearth； and when she has got all her clothes
on there is not much room left in the place for anybody else； but taken on
the whole she is decidedly attractive。 She has grit and go in her。 She is
alive。 She can do something to help herself besides calling for 〃George。〃
She has not got a stage childif she ever had one； she has left it on
somebody else's doorstep which； presuming there was no water handy to
drown it in； seems to be about the most sensible thing she could have done
with it。 She is not oppressively good。
She never wants to be 〃unhanded〃 or 〃let to pass。〃
She is not always being shocked or insulted by people telling her that
they love her； she does not seem to mind it if they do。 She is not always
fainting； and crying； and sobbing； and wailing； and moaning； like the good
people in the play are。
Oh； they do have an unhappy time of itthe good people in plays！
Then she is the only person in the piece who can sit on the comic man。
We sometimes think it would be a fortunate thingfor himif they
allowed her to marry and settle down quietly with the hero。 She might
make a man of him in time。
29
… Page 30…
STAGE…LAND。
THE SERVANT…GIRL。
There are two types of servant…girl to be met with on the stage。 This
is an unusual allowance for one profession。
There is the lodging…house slavey。 She has a good heart and a smutty
face and is always dressed according to the latest fashion in scarecrows。
Her leading occupation is the cleaning of boots。 She cleans boots all
over the house； at all hours of the day。 She comes and sits down on the
hero's breakfast…table and cleans them over the poor fellow's food。 She
comes into the drawing…room cleaning boots。
She has her own method of cleaning them； too。 She rubs off the mud；
puts on the blacking； and polishes up all with the same brush。 They take
an enormous amount of polishing。 She seems to do nothing else all day
long but walk about shining one boot； and she breathes on it and rubs it till
you wonder there is any leather left； yet it never seems to get any brighter；
nor； indeed； can you expect it to； for when you look close you see it is a
patent…leather boot that she has been throwing herself away upon all this
time。
Somebody has been having a lark with the poor girl。
The lodging…house slavey brushes her hair with the boot brush and
blacks the end of her nose with it。
We were acquainted with a lodging…house slavey oncea real one； we
mean。 She was the handmaiden at a house in Bloomsbury where we
once hung out。 She was untidy in her dress； it is true； but she had not
quite that castaway and gone…to…sleep…in…a…dust…bin appearance that we； an
earnest student of the drama； felt she ought to present； and we questioned
her one day on the subject。
〃How is it； Sophronia；〃 we said； 〃that you distantly resemble a human
being instead of giving one the idea of an animated rag…shop？ Don't you
ever polish your nose with the blacking…brush； or rub coal into your head；
or wash your face in treacle； or put skewers into your hair； or anything of
that sort； like they do on the stage？〃
She said： 〃Lord love you； what should I want to go and be a bally
30
… Page 31…
STAGE…LAND。
idiot like that for？〃
And we have not liked to put the question elsewhere since then。
The other type of servant…girl on the stagethe villa servant…girlis a
very different personage。 She is a fetching little thing； dresses
bewitchingly； and is always clean。 Her duties are to dust the legs of the
chairs in the drawing…room。 That is the only work she ever has to do； but
it must be confessed she does that thoroughly。 She never comes into the
room without dusting the legs of these chairs； and she dusts them again
before she goes out。
If anything ought to be free from dust in a stage house； it should be the
legs of the drawing…room chairs。
She is going to marry the man…servant； is the stage servant…girl； as
soon as they have saved up sufficient out of their wages to buy a hotel。
They think they will like to keep a hotel。 They don't understand a bit
about the business； which we believe is a complicated one； but this does
not trouble them in the least。
They quarrel a good deal over their love…making； do the stage servant…
girl and her young man； and they always come into the drawing…room to
do it。 They have got the kitc