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least a suggestion of Jewish extraction。 Clovis
Sangrail； who knew most of his associates by sight； said
it was undoubtedly a case of protective mimicry。
Two days after Basset's return； Lucas frisked in to
lunch in a state of twittering excitement that could not
be restrained even for the immediate consideration of
soup； but had to be verbally discharged in spluttering
competition with mouthfuls of vermicelli。
〃I've got hold of an idea for something immense；〃 he
babbled； 〃something that is simply It。〃
Basset gave a short laugh that would have done
equally well as a snort； if one had wanted to make the
exchange。 His half…brother was in the habit of
discovering futilities that were 〃simply It〃 at
frequently recurring intervals。 The discovery generally
meant that he flew up to town； preceded by glowingly…
worded telegrams； to see some one connected with the
stage or the publishing world； got together one or two
momentous luncheon parties； flitted in and out of
〃Gambrinus〃 for one or two evenings； and returned home
with an air of subdued importance and the asparagus tint
slightly intensified。 The great idea was generally
forgotten a few weeks later in the excitement of some new
discovery。
〃The inspiration came to me whilst I was dressing；〃
announced Lucas； 〃it will be THE thing in the next music…
hall REVUE。 All London will go mad over it。 It's just a
couplet； of course there will be other words； but they
won't matter。 Listen：
Cousin Teresa takes out Caesar；
Fido； Jock； and the big borzoi。
A lifting； catchy sort of refrain； you see； and big…
drum business on the two syllables of bor…zoi。 It's
immense。 And I've thought out all the business of it；
the singer will sing the first verse alone； then during
the second verse Cousin Teresa will walk through；
followed by four wooden dogs on wheels； Caesar will be an
Irish terrier； Fido a black poodle； Jock a fox…terrier；
and the borzoi； of course； will be a borzoi。 During the
third verse Cousin Teresa will come on alone； and the
dogs will be drawn across by themselves from the opposite
wing； then Cousin Teresa will catch on to the singer and
go off…stage in one direction； while the dogs' procession
goes off in the other； crossing en route； which is always
very effective。 There'll be a lot of applause there； and
for the fourth verse Cousin Teresa will come on in sables
and the dogs will all have coats on。 Then I've got a
great idea for the fifth verse； each of the dogs will be
led on by a Nut； and Cousin Teresa will come on from the
opposite side； crossing en route； always effective； and
then she turns round and leads the whole lot of them off
on a string； and all the time every one singing like mad：
Cousin Teresa takes out Caesar
Fido； Jock； and the big borzoi。
Tum…Tum！ Drum business on the two last syllables。
I'm so excited； I shan't sleep a wink to…night。 I'm off
to…morrow by the ten…fifteen。 I've wired to Hermanova to
lunch with me。〃
If any of the rest of the family felt any excitement
over the creation of Cousin Teresa； they were signally
successful in concealing the fact。
〃Poor Lucas does take his silly little ideas
seriously；〃 said Colonel Harrowcluff afterwards in the
smoking…room。
〃Yes；〃 said his younger son； in a slightly less
tolerant tone； 〃in a day or two he'll come back and tell
us that his sensational masterpiece is above the heads of
the public； and in about three weeks' time he'll be wild
with enthusiasm over a scheme to dramatise the poems of
Herrick or something equally promising。〃
And then an extraordinary thing befell。 In defiance
of all precedent Lucas's glowing anticipations were
justified and endorsed by the course of events。 If
Cousin Teresa was above the heads of the public； the
public heroically adapted itself to her altitude。
Introduced as an experiment at a dull moment in a new
REVUE； the success of the item was unmistakable； the
calls were so insistent and uproarious that even Lucas'
ample devisings of additional 〃business〃 scarcely
sufficed to keep pace with the demand。 Packed houses on
successive evenings confirmed the verdict of the first
night audience； stalls and boxes filled significantly
just before the turn came on； and emptied significantly
after the last ENCORE had been given。 The manager
tearfully acknowledged that Cousin Teresa was It。 Stage
hands and supers and programme sellers acknowledged it to
one another without the least reservation。 The name of
the REVUE dwindled to secondary importance； and vast
letters of electric blue blazoned the words 〃Cousin
Teresa〃 from the front of the great palace of pleasure。
And； of course； the magic of the famous refrain laid its
spell all over the Metropolis。 Restaurant proprietors
were obliged to provide the members of their orchestras
with painted wooden dogs on wheels； in order that the
much…demanded and always conceded melody should be
rendered with the necessary spectacular effects； and the
crash of bottles and forks on the tables at the mention
of the big borzoi usually drowned the sincerest efforts
of drum or cymbals。 Nowhere and at no time could one get
away from the double thump that brought up the rear of
the refrain； revellers reeling home at night banged it on
doors and hoardings； milkmen clashed their cans to its
cadence； messenger boys hit smaller messenger boys
resounding double smacks on the same principle。 And the
more thoughtful circles of the great city were not deaf
to the claims and significance of the popular melody。 An
enterprising and emancipated preacher discoursed from his
pulpit on the inner meaning of 〃Cousin Teresa；〃 and Lucas
Harrowcluff was invited to lecture on the subject of his
great achievement to members of the Young Mens' Endeavour
League； the Nine Arts Club； and other learned and
willing…to…learn bodies。 In Society it seemed to be the
one thing people really cared to talk about； men and
women of middle age and average education might be seen
together in corners earnestly discussing； not the
question whether Servia should have an outlet on the
Adriatic； or the possibilities of a British success in
international polo contests； but the more absorbing topic
of the problematic Aztec or Nilotic origin of the Teresa
MOTIV。
〃Politics and patriotism are so boring and so out of
date；〃 said a revered lady who had some pretensions to
oracular utterance； 〃we are too cosmopolitan nowadays to
be really moved by them。 That is why one welcomes an
intelligible production like 'Cousin Teresa；' that has a
genuine message for one。 One can't understand the
message all at once； of course； but one felt from the
very first that it was there。 I've been to see it
eighteen times and I'm going again to…morrow and on
Thu