AFTER TEN REFUSALS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 95, 21 April 1906, Page 12

AFTER TEN REFUSALS.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's inuij: ': <& onial readers will be interested to bfew that he has written a.play round tht character of that dating' fire-eater, "Brigadier Gerard," and had itpiodnced this week at the Imperial Theatre lljjfc Lewis Waller. The story told in the drama will np.t be found among the polished exploits of "Brigadier Ge|ard. n It deals with a lafer. period— Marcjk 1814, when Napoleon was to all intents Mid purposes a beaten man. 'Gerard isjwjrt on a secret mission by Napoleoi, Jo'oV tain from the Comtesse de Boquelatffi some private papers''which, the Talleyrand is also trying tog?t «<»«* sion of. First of all, Gerard blnnderi. into a net spread for Mm by Talleyrand, and is bound hand and foot and gagged in a wonderful black cabinet: that oune from Moscow. . Then,hey preste! by > reversal of fortune, Talleyrand is gagged and bound'and'pnfc Mfti» ■$* self same cabinet; while all <Jie time flit famous papers eo>Ttfeiitly i bo* by Napoleon and his enemies rest "in tBl pocket of TaUeyxand's great coafe Gereri and the Cointeaes de Koquelawe i !»!• Paris together, thinking .that they htfe utterly failed in their mission. A%> matter of fact, they ; the simple reason that Gerard i| we»rpg Talleyrand's overcoat, although ;Jjei*«K tirely ignorant of vrajt thelhnjig:cfl»f tains. Thus he wins t-rough sheeritwi dent, % characteristic all:tAfo<»* his career apparentlyo.beldnged-1(» ts& obtuse but brave hero., Napoleon him soundly when he thinks; he hassled, and rewards him handsomely whea discovers that he hag succeeded.. GeiJw himself, who thought r* mained for him in life after he had uv curred the displeasure of hi? Epperer, had gone back to the messrrdom of ti» Hussars, begun a desperate Major Olivier, and gone to cbmnut emcide. He is recalled to lifei-ana W> not only by the graciousfavour of poleon, who makes him brigadier: spot, but by.the promise of tesse de Bequelaure's .hand." _ ... The, play has "caught on? loth TjM public, though its many struction are commented upon by ; tra critics. Some of its situations are._«•.■ cidedlY wanting in plausibility,, but w» play has picturesueness and plenty o» spirit, and Mr Lewis Waller house with him. in the headstrong, masterful Arthur Gonan Doyle is the reception given by the public play, "Brigadier Gerard/ and he js** perturbed by the fact that the *«* critics were less enthusiastic. .;. -: _ «I was particularly delighted w?ftg public's approbation," hei said to representative: "because there W*£L sonal question at stake. You offered the piece to about f* "WJgJ who all refused it. But I belww that il would carry an acted upon them exactly as .^^^ft There is a parallel to be .*"«ffip the 'Brigadier' and my-firetlong it was Wh ** g-■ jected by as many ■?***&■' g≤ , were managers who Gerard.' But my 3 udgment d !*g : came right. It nas been the the pla/down to date. J it will continue." As to * h « c »ww» • f ... Arthur said: "To be jf* 0 ? would rather have tie• opj**gs - equal number of the public-doctors, fy..^ la S'piS of the professional critics. Their pv is ruined by continual brin- no freshness of SSre. Apart from which is beyond my * remember in my h case of a difference of critics and public where the public wnot right." - ■ <'^ VtiESNiTY.;: Keceived * bouquet ~-., ,, An energetic salesman with beautiful." n . «,„ kn»». "Yea, they axe, sir. Do you MJ