Transcriber’s Note
This transcription is based on scanned images posted by Google from a copy from the Harvard library:
[nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.FIG:002663452]
Note that the Google scans are included in a set of four Sydney Grundy plays published by Samuel French posted under the title of the first play in the set, A Fool’s Paradise. Based on how the Harvard Library catalogs the individual copies, I assume Google combined the different scans into a single document. The Silver Shield is the fourth play in the set.
French’s Acting Editions from the nineteenth century tend to have minor editorial inconsistencies and errors as well as errors introduced in the printing process, depending on the condition and inking of the plates. Thus, for example, it is at times difficult to determine whether a certain letter is an “c,” “e,” or “o” or whether a certain punctuation mark is a period or a comma. Where context made the choice obvious, the obvious reading was given the benefit of the doubt without comment.
The following changes were noted:
- Throughout the text, all instances of “and” between character names in stage directions are consistently italicized and in lower case.
- Throughout the text, all instances of “L.C.” and “R.C.” have been made consistent so that there is no space between them.
- Throughout the text, the use of dashes has been made consistent.
- p. 3: Can’t you see the likeness—Added a question mark to the end of the sentence.
- p. 5: …to bear the purring cat…—Changed “bear” to “hear”.
- p. 9: (arranges hersel before the glass)—Changed “hersel” to “herself”.
- p. 9: graually gets round, and down—Changed “graually” to “gradually”.
- p. 12: Scrubbs is the man for skies, —Changed comma after “skies” to a period.
- p. 13: What nonsense I never met you…—Added an exclamation mark after “nonsense”.
- p. 14: …should have said nothing, We don’t…—Changed comma to a period.
- p. 16: (embraces Dr. Dozey, while Alma shakes…—Changed “Dr.” to small caps in html version or all caps in text version.
- p. 18: What’s the matter, Mrs. Dozey?—Changed small caps in printing of “Dozey” to initial cap.
- p. 19: I believe you’re smitten Men are all alike.—Added period after “smitten”.
- p. 23: Lucy sits R.—Added a comma after “sits” in space that appeared to be left for one.
- p. 30: I don’t read plays, sir; I produce em.—Added an apostrophe before “em”.
- p. 32: You may—you may It’s quite a relief to hear a little bad language.—Added a period between “may” and “It’s”.
- p. 38: (Exit through window off, L.) Servant closes window…—Deleted closing parenthesis after “L.”.
- p. 39: Mrs. D. It’ an elopement!—Added an “s” after the apostrophe.
- p. 42: you can t be sorry for me, Miss Blake.—Added an apostrophe between “can” and “t”.
- p. 47: Say that the lady on the first floor wants t speak to her on business…—Changed “t” to “to”.
- p. 51: I have no right to tell you I will; never see you…—Deleted semicolon.
- p. 54: Dr. (rising: also Mrs. Dozey)—Changed colon to semicolon for consistency.
Variant spellings such as “bran new” and “weazel” were not changed.
The html version of this etext attempts to reproduce the layout of the printed text. However, some concessions have been made. For example, the spacing above and below the stage directions has been standardized, and in the stage directions, no attempt was made to reproduce whether the punctuation was italicized. Thus, if a punctuation mark was adjacent to an html <span> tag, it was included within the <span> group. This prevents line breaks in the display text of some ereaders right before the punctuation mark.
