“I believe Mr. Irving has engaged a real fowl, to crow at the right moment behind the scenes,” I said. “He is always very particular about these details. Quite right too. ‘The Cock, by kind permission of the Aylesbury Dairy Company,’ is on the bills. They have no Cock at the Français; Mounet Sully would not hear of it.”
I knew nothing about it, but if this detestable spectre was going to launch out concerning art and the drama there would be no sleep for me.
“Then the glow-worm,” he said—“have they a real glow-worm for the Ghost’s ‘business’ (Act I. scene 5) when he says?—
“‘Fare thee well at once,
The glow-worm shows the matin to be near,
And ’gins to pale his ineffectual fire.’
Did it ever strike you how inconsistent that is? Clearly the ghost appeared in winter; don’t you remember how they keep complaining of the weather?
“‘For this relief much thanks; ’tis bitter cold,’
and
“‘The air bites shrewdly: it is very cold.’”
“Horatio blows on his hands to warm them, at the Français,” I interrupted.
“Quite right; good business,” said he; “and yet they go on about the glow-worms in the neighbourhood! Most incongruous. How does Furnivall take it? An interpolation by Middleton?”