come the modest authors (the less modest ones lay direct siege to the Dramatic Director) bringing neatly copied plays, over the contents of which they “spread” themselves, return frequently, and by all means in their power try to discover when their play will be produced. The reader of plays, a peaceful and contemplative man, tells them that “it will come along in good time.” He is, however, taken seriously only by the dramatists. For the players are offhand with him, regarding him with justice, as something of a bookworm. As though the theatre of to-day had anything to do with literature!
The factotums of the theatre resemble the factotums of Ministries and newspaper offices: they are very literary, however, for at the beginning of the month they take the royalties round to the authors.
I seem to have mixed the artistic and administrative departments of the theatre together. And what, in fact, happens, is that the Director of the Theatre always says that he only works for artistic ends,
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