Chapter 3 third chapter

Thrilled by his enthusiasm and rich fantasies, Julia accepted his proposal.He began to cast her in minor parts, and under his direction she acted better than ever.He managed to get the critics interested in her, flattering them, making them think they had discovered a great actress, and getting them to come forward and suggest that he should cast her in Magda. The heroine of Hometown.).She was so successful that he cast her in quick succession as Nora in A Doll's House, Ann in Man and Superman, and Hedda.Gabler (Note: Hedda Gabler is the heroine in Ibsen's play of the same name.). Middlepool was delighted to find a local actress who outshone all the big names in London, giving her the bragging rights, and people flocking to see her in plays that used to be seen only out of provincialism .She was mentioned now and then by London gossip writers, and many theatrical patrons came to Middlepool to see her.When they went back, they were full of praise, so two or three London theater managers sent representatives to interview her.They are skeptical.She was very good in Bernard Shaw and Ibsen, but what about ordinary plays?Those managers have had miserable experiences.They once hired an actor on the basis of one good performance in one of these peculiar plays, and found out that he was no better than anyone else in any other play.

Julia had been performing in Middlepool for a year when Michael came to join the troupe.Jimmy originally asked him to play Marchbanks in "Condida" (Note: George Bernard Shaw. Marchbanks is a young poet in the play.).One would feel that this was a perfectly fitting choice, since for the role his striking good looks are an advantage and his lack of enthusiasm is not a disadvantage. Julia leaned forward for the first cardboard box containing Michael's photograph.She is sitting comfortably on the floor.She turned quickly through the early photographs, looking for the one he had taken when he first arrived in Middlepool; but when she found it, it gave her a pang of heartache.She wanted to cry for a moment.That's what he looked like back then.

Miss Conti was played by an older woman, who was a good actress, usually mother, spinster aunt, or special character, and Julia watched them rehearse at her spare time, except for eight performances a week.She fell in love with Michael the moment she saw him.She had never seen a more beautiful young man than him, so she kept pinning him down. When the time was right, Jimmy put "Ghosts" on the stage, with Michael playing the part Boy, she plays Regina.They listened to each other recite their lines, and had lunch together after rehearsal. They ate very sparingly, just hoping to talk about each other's roles together.They quickly became inseparable.

Julia spoke quite bluntly, and she was desperate to praise Michael.He was not proud of his beauty, and he knew he was handsome, and compliments on him were not entirely indifferent, but like compliments on a fine old family house.It's a well-known fact that it's one of the best buildings of its time when it was built, and you're proud of it, you take care of it, but it's there, as naturally owned by you as you breathe the air as natural. Michael is shrewd and ambitious.He knows that his beauty is currently his main asset, but he also knows that this cannot be maintained forever, so he is determined to become an actor with superb acting skills, so that he can rely on something other than his appearance.He made up his mind to try his best to learn from Jimmy.Langton learned something, and then went to London to seek development.

If I get it right, I can get an older woman to sponsor me as theater manager.A man should always be his own master.This is the only way to get rich. Julia soon found out that he was not much of a spender, and when they dined together, or went around on Sundays, she made sure to pay her share.She doesn't mind it.She liked him to count his money; she herself was prone to extravagance, and was always a week or two behind in rent every month, so she admired him, because he didn't like to be in debt, and although he earned a small salary, he could still pay for it. Save some every week.He was eager to save enough money that when he got to London, he would not have to rush to play any part, but could wait patiently for the part that really had a good chance.

His father, who lived largely on a pension, made a great sacrifice and sent him to Cambridge.His father disapproved of his taking the stage, had insisted on it. If you must be an actor, I don't think I can stop you, he said, but, damn it, I insist you must be educated like a gentleman. Julia was delighted to hear that Michael's father was a colonel, and that he told of an ancestor who had been in the Regency She was shocked by the loss of the family fortune at White House, and liked Michael's signet ring, which had a boar's head engraved on it and the inscription: I shall be punished.

I reckon you're more proud of your family than of your Greek godlike features, she said to him fondly. Anyone can be beautiful, he replied with a sweet smile, but not everyone can come from a decent family.To be honest with you, I'm glad my dad is a gentleman. Julia mustered the greatest courage. My father is a veterinarian. Michael's face tightened for a moment, but then he returned to nature and laughed. It doesn't matter, of course, what line of work one's father is in.I used to hear my father talk about the veterinarians in his regiment.He was, of course, an officer.Pa said he was still one of the best officers.

She was glad that he had studied at Cambridge University.He was a member of his academy's rowing team, and it was once rumored that he would be selected for the school team. I'd love to wear the blue badge (Note: Cambridge and Oxford varsity athletes are marked in light blue and dark blue, respectively.).This will work for me on stage.I can make a big deal out of this. Julia did not know whether he knew she loved him.He never showed any love for her.He enjoyed her company, and he rarely left her side when they were with other people.Sometimes they were invited to a Sunday party, or to lunch, or to a big cold dinner in the evening, and he seemed to think that it was only natural that they should go and return together.He kissed her when he parted from her at her door, but he kissed her as if he were kissing the middle-aged woman with whom he was in Miss Conti.He was friendly, kind, and gracious to her, but it was depressing that he clearly thought of her only as a companion.Yet she knew he was not in love with anyone else.The love letters those women wrote him he read to Julia laughingly, and the flowers they gave him he immediately forwarded to her.

They were stupid as hell, he said, and what on earth were they trying to achieve? I think it's easy to guess, said Julia coldly. Even though she knew he was so indifferent to those flatterers, she couldn't help being angry and jealous. I'd be a bloody fool if I was hanging out with a woman from Middlepool.In the final analysis, most of them are frivolous women.Before I know what's going on, some angry father will come to the door and say that you must take this girl as your wife right now. She tried to find out if he had had any affairs while he was acting in Benson's company.She guessed that one or two girls must have been pestering, but he thought it was the biggest mistake to go out with a co-star.This kind of thing is bound to cause trouble.

And you know how much people gossip in the troupe.Everyone knows everything within twenty-four hours.When you start this kind of thing, you can't predict what kind of trouble you will get into.I'm not going to take that risk. If he wanted to have fun, he would wait until they were fairly close to London, when he would sprint into town and pick up any girl at the Globe Hotel.Of course it was a lot of money, and when you look back it wasn't worth the money; besides, he played cricket a lot with the Bensons and golf when he got a chance, but it was kind of hard on the eyes. not good.

Julia told a big lie. Jimmy always said I'd be a better actress if I had an affair. Don't trust him.He's such a nasty old guy.I think it's with him.I mean, it's like saying that if I wrote poetry, I'd be better at Marchbanks. They talked quite a bit together, so in the end she must have gotten his idea of ​​marriage. I think it's the dumbest thing for an actor to marry too early.This will definitely ruin a person's future. There are too many examples of this.Especially if married to an actress.He became a star, and at that time she became a millstone around his neck.She insists on acting with him. If he is the manager, he must play the main role for her. If he hires someone else to play, she will quarrel with you.In the case of actresses, it's a head-scratcher.There was always the possibility that she might conceive a child, and she had to decline even the best part to play at this time.She won't see the audience for months, but you know what the audience is like, and unless they see you a lot, they forget you ever existed. marry?Has she ever thought about getting married?Her heart melted in her body as she gazed into his deep, kindly eyes, and shivered with joyful anguish as she admired his lustrous tawny hair.Whatever he asked of her, she was ready to give.The idea never entered his lovely head. Of course he likes me, she thought.He liked me more than anyone else, he even admired me, but I didn't attract him that way. She tried every means to seduce him, but she missed getting into bed with him, and the reason she didn't do it was because she didn't have a chance.She began to fear that they knew each other too well and it seemed unlikely that they would further change their present relationship; she scolded herself for not rushing to orgasm when they first came into contact with each other.His feelings for her are now too sincere to be her lover. She found out which day was his birthday and gave him a gold cigarette case, which she knew was what he wanted most.The cigarette case was too expensive for her to afford easily, so he smiled and blamed her for being too extravagant.How could he have imagined how much joy she had given her by spending money on him.When her birthday came, he gave her half a dozen stockings.She can see that the quality is not very good.This poor baby, he was reluctant to buy high-end goods, but she couldn't help crying when she thought of him giving her something. You're such an emotional little thing, he said, but it moved him with joy to see her cry. She thought his frugality was a desirable trait.He couldn't bear to waste money.He wasn't really mean, but he wasn't generous either.Once or twice in a restaurant, she thought he was tipping the waiter too little, and she pointed it out to him rudely, but he ignored it.He gave ten percent no more, no less, and asked the waiter to give him change when he couldn't make up the exact cent. Don't make a loan, and don't lend money to others, (Note: Quoted from "Hamlet", it is a sentence in the long teaching of the former imperial minister Pronius to his son.) He quoted the words of Pronius. Some colleagues in the troupe are inconvenient for a while, so they don't want to borrow money from him.Yet he refused so frankly and sincerely that it was not surprising. My dear old friend, I should like to lend you a pound, but I am very short.I don't know how to pay the rent this weekend. For a few months, Michael was so busy playing his own role that he didn't notice what a wonderful actress Julia was.Of course he also read the drama reviews and saw words of praise for Julia, but he only glanced at them briefly, and didn't pay more attention until he saw the comments about him.He was happy to see their approval, but not dejected when he saw their accusations.He has self-knowledge, so he doesn't hate the criticism behind his back. I think I suck, he would say bluntly. His most endearing feature is his good temper.He to Jimmy.Langdon's scolding was indifferent.During the long rehearsals, Jimmy grew increasingly angry, but he always remained calm.You can hardly argue with him. One day he was sitting at the front of the stage watching the rehearsal of a scene he was not in.There is an intensely moving scene at the end, where Julia gets a chance to make the most of her acting skills.While the stage was setting the scene for the next act, Julia came out of the reception door and sat down next to Michael.He didn't speak to her, just stared sternly ahead.She gave him a surprised look.He neither smiled at her nor said a kind word, which was not his usual appearance.Then she saw him clenching his teeth to keep them from chattering, with tears in his eyes. what's the matter, my dear? Don't talk to me.You dirty little bitch, you made me cry. my angel! Tears welled up in her own eyes and ran down her cheeks.How happy she felt, how honored she was. Hey, hell, he twitched, I can't help it. He took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his tears. (I love him, I love him, I love him.) He blew his nose casually. Now I feel better.But, my God, you broke me just now. Not a bad scene, is it? To hell with this scene, you are really good.He broke my heart.Those critics were right, damn it, you're a real actress, yes. Did you just find out? I knew you were quite good, but I didn't expect you to be so good.You put us all to shame, and you don't have any anger left.You are bound to be famous.Nothing can stop you. Well, then you will be the leading actor in my play. How can I get such a good opportunity with which London manager? Julia was inspired. Then you have to be the manager yourself and let me be the heroine for you. He was silent.His mind is not very flexible, and it takes a little work to grasp an idea.He smiled. You know, that's a good idea. They talked about it over lunch.Julia spoke most of the words, and he listened to her with all his attention. Of course, the only way to always have suitable roles to play is to open your own theater, he said, I know that. Money is an issue.They discuss how much at least they need to start running a theater.Michael calculated at least five thousand pounds.But how on earth could they raise such a sum?Some manufacturers in Middlepool are really rolling in money, but you don't think they'll give five thousand pounds to a couple of young actors who are only locally famous to start their business.Besides, they were jealous of London. You've got to find your rich old lady, Julia said grinningly. She didn't quite believe what she was saying, but she was excited to discuss such a plan that would lead to a close and long-lasting relationship between her and Michael.And Michael was very serious. I don't believe that a man can expect success in London unless he is already quite famous.It seemed the right thing to do: three or four years in a London theater run by someone else, because you gotta know the business.The advantage of doing this is that you can have time to read some scripts.You must have at least three scripts in hand before you can start running a theater, otherwise you will be insane.And one of the three scripts should be a sure success. If this is done, of course the duo must co-star so that the public routinely sees both names on the same program. I don't think it matters much.The main thing is to have a good character who is tough.I am convinced that once you have a reputation in London, it will be much easier to find a backstage boss.