If it is ill
enough to hear haste drawled out, it is ill, too, to hear slowness out-
tarried. The true nurse of Shakespeare lags with her news because her
ignorant wits are easily astray, as lightly caught as though they were
light, which they are not; but the nurse of the stage is never simply
astray: she knows beforehand how long she means to be, and never, never
forgets what kind of race is the race she is riding. The Juliet of the
stage seems to consider that there is plenty of time for her to discover
which is slain--Tybalt or her husband; she is sure to know some time; it
can wait.
A London success, when you know where it lies, is not difficult to
achieve. Of all things that can be gained by men or women about their
business, there is one thing that can be gained without fear of failure.
This is time. To gain time requires so little wit that, except for
competition, every one could be first at the game. In fact, time gains
itself. The actor is really not called upon to do anything. There is
nothing, accordingly, for which our actors and actresses do not rely upon
time.
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