Page:Rachel (1887 Nina H. Kennard).djvu/189

 artistic appreciation which induced her, in spite of many difficulties, to persist in her refusal of the part. Her style of acting was unsuited to the representation of quick or violent movement. "I have read your two last acts," she said to Legouvé. "I see my rôle is full of sharp, sudden movements; I rush at my children, carry them about, struggle with the crowd for their possession. This physical agitation does not suit me. All that I can express by physiognomy, attitude, by solemn, measured gesture, I can do; but where energetic pantomime begins my powers fail utterly." It would be well if some of our actors now-a-days would lay the following words to heart: "Medea may murder her children, poison her father-in-law: I feel unable to follow her example, even if I wished to. Holding the respect for the public that I do, and bearing a name entirely created by its favour and applause, I cannot allow myself to be made the accomplice and instrument of theatrical favouritism."

It is probable that, after the second or third reading, she had come to the conclusion that Medea would not suit her; but it would have been better if she had bravely and loyally said so, instead of keeping the author in suspense for two years, and then cruelly blighting his hopes, and finding herself and the Comédie Française entangled in troublesome law-suits, in the second of which the actress and the theatre were condemned to pay 12,000 francs damages—a poor consolation to Legouvé, who had fought so persistently for the representation of his piece. Another than Rachel ultimately acted the rôle, and made it one of her greatest triumphs.