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full of enthusiasm for his piece and confident of its success。 We sat where
we had met； under the trees of the Champs Elysees； for a couple of hours；
turning the subject about and looking at the question from every point of
view。 Before we parted the poet had convinced me。 The role； as he
conceived it； was certainly original； and therefore tempting； opening vast
possibilities before my dazzled eyes。
〃I found out later that Rostand had gone straight home after that
conversation and worked for nearly twenty hours without leaving the
study； where his wife found him at daybreak； fast asleep with his head on a
pile of manuscript。 He was at my rooms the next day before I was up；
sitting on the side of my bed； reading the result of his labor。 As the story
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unfolded itself I was more and more delighted。 His idea of resuscitating
the quaint interior of the Hotel de Bourgogne Theatre was original； and the
balcony scene； even in outline； enchanting。 After the reading Rostand
dashed off as he had come； and for many weeks I saw no more of him。
〃LA PRINCESSE LOINTAINE was； in the meantime； produced by
Sarah； first in London and then in Paris。 In the English capital it was a
failure； with us it gained a SUCCES D'ESTIME； the fantastic grace and
lightness of the piece saving it from absolute shipwreck in the eyes of the
literary public。
〃Between ourselves；〃 continued Coquelin； pushing aside his plate； a
twinkle in his small eyes； 〃is the reason of this lack of success very
difficult to discover？ The Princess in the piece is supposed to be a fairy
enchantress in her sixteenth year。 The play turns on her youth and
innocence。 Now； honestly； is Sarah； even on the stage； any one's ideal of
youth and innocence？〃 This was asked so naively that I burst into a laugh；
in which my host joined me。 Unfortunately； this grandmamma； like Ellen
Terry； cannot be made to understand that there are roles she should leave
alone； that with all the illusions the stage lends she can no longer play
girlish parts with success。
〃The failure of his play produced the most disastrous effect on Rostand；
who had given up a year of his life to its composition and was profoundly
chagrined by its fall。 He sank into a mild melancholy； refusing for more
than eighteen months to put pen to paper。 On the rare occasions when we
met I urged him to pull himself together and rise above disappointment。
Little by little； his friends were able to awaken his dormant interest and get
him to work again on CYRANO。 As he slowly regained confidence and
began taking pleasure once more in his work； the boyish author took to
dropping in on me at impossible morning hours to read some scene hot
from his ardent brain。 When seated by my bedside； he declaimed his lines
until； lit at his flame； I would jump out of bed； and wrapping my dressing…
gown hastily around me； seize the manuscript out of his hands； and； before
I knew it； find my self addressing imaginary audiences； poker in hand； in
lieu of a sword； with any hat that came to hand doing duty for the plumed
headgear of our hero。 Little by little； line upon line； the masterpiece grew
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under his hands。 My career as an actor has thrown me in with many forms
of literary industry and dogged application； but the power of sustained
effort and untiring； unflagging zeal possessed by that fragile youth
surpassed anything I had seen。
〃As the work began taking form； Rostand hired a place in the country；
so that no visitors or invitations might tempt him away from his daily toil。
Rich； young； handsome； married to a woman all Paris was admiring； with
every door； social or Bohemian； wide open before his birth and talent； he
voluntarily shut himself up for over a year in a dismal suburb； allowing no
amusement to disturb his incessant toil。 Mme。 Rostand has since told me
that at one time she seriously feared for his reason if not for his life； as he
averaged ten hours a day steady work； and when the spell was on him
would pass night after night at his study table； rewriting； cutting；
modelling his play； never contented； always striving after a more
expressive adjective； a more harmonious or original rhyme； casting aside a
month's finished work without a second thought when he judged that
another form expressed his idea more perfectly。
〃That no success is cheaply bought I have long known； my profession
above all others is calculated to teach one that truth。
〃If Rostand's play is the best this century has produced； and our
greatest critics are unanimous in pronouncing it equal； if not superior； to
Victor Hugo's masterpieces； the young author has not stolen his laurels；
but gained them leaf by leaf during endless midnight hours of brain…
wringing effort … a price that few in a generation would be willing to give
or capable of giving for fame。 The labor had been in proportion to the
success； it always is！ I doubt if there is one word in his ‘duel' ballad that
has not been changed again and again for a more fitting expression； as one
might assort the shades of a mosaic until a harmonious whole is produced。
I have there in my desk whole scenes that he discarded because they were
not essential to the action of the piece。 They will probably never be printed；
yet are as brilliant and cost their author as much labor as any that the
public applauded to… night。
〃As our rehearsals proceeded I saw another side of Rostand's character；
the energy and endurance hidden in his almost effeminate frame
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astonished us all。 He almost lived at the theatre； drilling each actor；
designing each costume； ordering the setting of each scene。 There was not
a dress that he did not copy from some old print； or a PASSADE that he
did not indicate to the humblest member of the troop。 The marvellous
diction that I had noticed during the reading at Sarah's served him now and
gave the key to the entire perfor