Suddenly a fresh burst of applause was heard. Amazement could be read on some faces, and Perrin stood up terrified. I was crossing the bridge, my pale face ravaged with grief, and the sortie de bal which was intended to cover my shoulders was dragging along, just held by my limp fingers; my arms were hanging down as though despair had taken the use out of them. I was bathed in the white light of the moon and the effect, it seems, was striking and deeply impressive. A nasal, aggressive voice cried out: “One moon effect is enough. Turn it off for Mlle. Bernhardt.”
I sprang forward to the front of the stage. “Excuse me, M. Perrin,” I exclaimed, “you had no right to take my moon away. The manuscript reads: ‘Berthe advances, pale, convulsed with emotion, the rays of the moon falling on her’... I am pale and I am convulsed ... I must have my moon!...”
“It is impossible,” roared Perrin. “Mlle. Croizette’s ‘You love me, then!’ and her kiss must have this moonlight. She is playing the Sphinx, that is the chief part in the play and we must leave her the principal effect....”
“Very well, then, give Croizette a brilliant moon, and give me a less brilliant one. I don’t mind that, but I must have my moon.” All the artistes and all the employés of the theater put their heads in at all the doorways and openings both on the stage and in the house itself. The “Croizettists” and the “Bernhardtists” began to comment on the discussion.
Octave Feuillet was appealed to, and got up in his turn.
“I grant that Mlle. Croizette is very beautiful in her moon effect. Mlle. Sarah Bernhardt is ideal, too, with her ray of moonlight. I want the moon, therefore, for both of them.”
Perrin could not control his anger. There was a discussion between the author and the director, followed by others between the artistes, and between the doorkeeper and the journalists who were questioning him. The rehearsal was interrupted; I declared that I would not play the part if I did not have my moon. For the next two days I received no notice of another rehearsal but through Croizette I heard that they were trying my rôle of Berthe privately. They had given it to a young woman whom we had nicknamed “the Crocodile,” because she followed all the rehearsals just as that animal follows boats—she was always hoping to snatch up some rôle that might happen to be thrown overboard. Octave Feuillet refused to accept the change of artistes and he came himself to fetch me, accompanied by Delaunay, who had negotiated matters.
“It’s all settled,” he said, kissing my hands, “there will be a moon for both of you.”
The first night was a triumph for both Croizette and for me. The party strife between the two clans waxed warmer and warmer, and this added to our success and amused us both immensely, for Croizette was always a delightful friend and a loyal comrade. She worked for her own ends, but never against anyone else.
After the “Sphinx” I played a pretty piece in one act by a young pupil of the Polytechnical School, Louis Denayrouse—“La Belle Paule.” This author has now become a renowned scientific man and has renounced his poetry.