Clovis, as
adapter and stage-manager, insisted, as far as he was able,
on the charioteer being quite the most prominent character
in the play, and his panther-skin tunic caused almost as
much trouble and discussion as Clytemnestra's spasmodic
succession of lovers, who broke down on probation with
alarming uniformity. When the cast was at length fixed
beyond hope of reprieve matters went scarcely more smoothly.
Clovis and the Baroness rather overdid the Sumurun manner,
while the rest of the company could hardly be said to
attempt it at all. As for Cassandra, who was expected to
improvise her own prophecies, she appeared to be as
incapable of taking flying leaps into futurity as of
executing more than a severely plantigrade walk across the
stage.
``Woe! Trojans, woe to Troy!'' was the most inspired
remark she could produce after several hours of
conscientious study of all the available authorities.
``It's no earthly use foretelling the fall of Troy,''
expostulated Clovis, ``because Troy has fallen before the
action of the play begins. And you mustn't say too much
about your own impending doom either, because that will give
things away too much to the audience.
Pages:
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168