Eustace, curiously enough, was not very nervous on the first night. He was fairly certain that he was word-perfect; and if only the ostrich didn"t kick him in the back of the neck--as it had tried to once at rehearsal--the evening seemed likely to be a triumph for him. And so it was with a feeling of pleasurable antic.i.p.ation that, on the morning after, he gathered the papers round him at breakfast, and prepared to read what the critics had to say.
He had a remarkable Press. I give a few examples of the notices he obtained from the leading papers:
"Mr. Eustace Merrowby was Tommy."--_Daily Telegraph._
"The cast included Mr. Eustace Merrowby."--_Times._
" ... Mr. Eustace Merrowby ... "--_Daily Chronicle._
"We have no s.p.a.ce in which to mention all the other performers."--_Morning Leader._
"This criticism only concerns the two actors we have mentioned, and does not apply to the rest of the cast."--_Sportsman._
"Where all were so good it would be invidious to single out anybody for special praise."--_Daily Mail._
"The acting deserved a better play."--_Daily News._
" ... Tommy ..."--_Morning Post._
As Eustace read the papers he felt that his future was secure. True, _The Era_, careful never to miss a single performer, had yet to say, "Mr. Eustace Merrowby was capital as Tommy," and _The Stage_, "Tommy was capitally played by Mr. Eustace Merrowby"; but even without this he had become one of the Men who Count--one whose private life was of more interest to the public than that of any scientist, general or diplomat in the country.
Into Eustace Merrowby"s subsequent career I cannot go at full length. It is perhaps as a member of the Garrick Club that he has attained his fullest development. All the good things of the Garrick which were not previously said by Sydney Smith may safely be put down to Eustace; and there is no doubt that he is the ringleader in all the subsequent practical jokes which have made the club famous. It was he who pinned to the back of an unpopular member of the committee a sheet of paper bearing the words
KICK ME
--and the occasion on which he drew the chair from beneath a certain eminent author as the latter was about to sit down is still referred to hilariously by the older members.
Finally, as a convincing proof of his greatness, let it be said that everybody has at least heard the name "Eustace Merrowby"--even though some may be under the impression that it is the trade-mark of a sauce; and that half the young ladies of Wandsworth Common and Winchmore Hill are in love with him. If this be not success, what is?
LI. THE COLLECTOR
When Peter Plimsoll, the Glue King, died, his parting advice to his sons to stick to the business was followed only by John, the elder. Adrian, the younger, had a soul above adhesion. He disposed of his share in the concern and settled down to follow the life of a gentleman of taste and culture and (more particularly) patron of the arts. He began in a modest way by collecting ink-pots. His range at first was catholic, and it was not until he had acquired a hundred and forty-seven ink-pots of various designs that he decided to make a specialty of historic ones. This decision was hastened by the discovery that one of Queen Elizabeth"s inkstands--supposed (by the owner) to be the identical one with whose aid she wrote her last letter to Raleigh--was about to be put on the market. At some expense Adrian obtained an introduction, through a third party, to the owner, at more expense the owner obtained, through the same gentleman, an introduction to Adrian; and in less than a month the great Elizabeth Ink-pot was safely established in Adrian"s house. It was the beginning of the "Plimsoll Collection."
This was twenty years ago. Let us to-day take a walk through the galleries of Mr. Adrian Plimsoll"s charming residence which, as the world knows, overlooks the park. Any friend of mine is always welcome at Number Fifteen. We will start with the North Gallery; I fear that I shall only have time to point out a few of the choicest gems.
This is a Pontesiori sword of the thirteenth century--the only example of the master"s art without any notches.
On the left is a Capricci comfit-box. If you have never heard of Capricci, you oughtn"t to come to a house like this.
Here we have before us the historic de Montigny topaz. Ask your little boy to tell you about it.
In the East Gallery, of course, the chief treasure is the Santo di Santo amulet, described so minutely in his _Vindicia Veritatis_ by John of Flanders. The original MS. of this book is in the South Gallery. You must glance at it when we get there. It will save you the trouble of ordering a copy from your library; they would be sure to keep you waiting....
With some such words as these I lead my friends round Number Fifteen.
The many treasures in the private parts of the house I may not show, of course; the bathroom, for instance, in which hangs the finest collection of portraits of philatelists that Europe can boast. You must spend a night with Adrian to be admitted to their company; and as one of the elect, I can a.s.sure you that nothing can be more stimulating on a winter"s morning than to catch the eye of Frisby Dranger, F.Ph.S., behind the taps as your head first emerges from the icy waters.
Adrian Plimsoll sat at breakfast, sipping his hot water and crumbling a dry biscuit. A light was in his eye, a flush upon his pallid countenance. He had just heard from a trusty agent that the Scutori breast-plate had been seen in Devonshire. His car was ready to take him to the station.
But alas! a disappointment awaited him. On close examination the breast-plate turned out to be a common Risoldo of inferior working.
Adrian left the house in disgust and started on his seven-mile walk back to the station. To complete his misery a sudden storm came on.
Cursing alternately his agent and Risoldo, he made his way to a cottage and asked for shelter.
An old woman greeted him civilly and bade him come in.
"If I may just wait till the storm is over," said Adrian, and he sat down in her parlour and looked appraisingly (as was his habit) round the room. The grandfather clock in the corner was genuine, but he was beyond grandfather clocks. There was nothing else of any value; three china dogs and some odd trinkets on the chimney-piece; a print or two----
Stay! What was that behind the youngest dog?
"May I look at that old bracelet?" he asked, his voice trembling a little; and without waiting for permission he walked over and took up the circle of tarnished metal in his hands. As he examined it his colour came and went, his heart seemed to stop beating. With a tremendous effort he composed himself and returned to his chair.
It was the Emperor"s Bracelet!
Of course you know the history of this most famous of all bracelets.
Made by Spurius Quintus of Rome in 47 B. C., it was given by Caesar to Cleopatra, who tried without success to dissolve it in vinegar.
Returning to Rome by way of Antony it was worn at a minor conflagration by Nero, after which it was lost sight of for many centuries. It was eventually heard of during the reign of Canute (or Knut, as his admirers called him); and John is known to have lost it in the Wash, whence it was recovered a century afterwards. It must have travelled thence to France, for it was seen once in the possession of Louis XI; and from there to Spain, for Philip The Handsome presented it to Joanna on her wedding day. Columbus took it to America, but fortunately brought it back again; Peter The Great threw it at an indifferent musician; on one of its later visits to England Pope wrote a couplet to it. And the most astonishing thing in its whole history was that now for more than a hundred years it had vanished completely. To turn up again in a little Devonshire cottage! Verily truth is stranger than fiction.
"That"s rather a curious bracelet of yours," said Adrian casually.
"My--er--wife has one just like it which she asked me to match. Is it an old friend, or would you care to sell it?"
"My mother gave it me," said the old woman, "and she had it from hers.
I don"t know no further than that. I didn"t mean to sell it, but----"
"Quite right," said Adrian, "and after all, I can easily get another."
"But I won"t say a bit of money wouldn"t be useful. What would you think a fair price, Sir? Five shillings?"
Adrian"s heart jumped. To get the Emperor"s Bracelet for five shillings!
But the spirit of the collector rose up strong within him. He laughed kindly.
"My good woman," he said, "they turn out bracelets like that in Birmingham at two shillings apiece. And quite new. I"ll give you tenpence."
"Make it one-and-sixpence," she pleaded. "Times are hard."
Adrian reflected. He was not, strictly speaking, impoverished. He could afford one-and-sixpence.
"One-and-tuppence," he said.
"No, no, one-and-sixpence," she repeated obstinately.
Adrian reflected again. After all, he could always sell it for ten thousand pounds, if the worst came to the worst.
"Well, well," he sighed, "one-and-sixpence let it be."