Life and art of Richard Mansfield, with selections from his letters . 4 to June 30 he was acting in NewYork, at the Madison Square Theatre, but, afterthe close of that engagement, and on receipt ofIrvings message, he sailed for England. It happened that Irving was, at this time, ram-bling in Cumberland, with friends,—among themthe writer of this memoir,—and Mansfield presentlyjoined the party, at the cosey old hotel at Patter-dale, on the shore of Ullswater; and I remember wesat up all night, discussing his budget of Americannews and his plans and prospects for a Londonseason. The meeting was
Life and art of Richard Mansfield, with selections from his letters . 4 to June 30 he was acting in NewYork, at the Madison Square Theatre, but, afterthe close of that engagement, and on receipt ofIrvings message, he sailed for England. It happened that Irving was, at this time, ram-bling in Cumberland, with friends,—among themthe writer of this memoir,—and Mansfield presentlyjoined the party, at the cosey old hotel at Patter-dale, on the shore of Ullswater; and I remember wesat up all night, discussing his budget of Americannews and his plans and prospects for a Londonseason. The meeting was a delightful one. Therelations between Mansfield and Irving were thenfriendly. They did not always remain so. Theyfluctuated, considerably; and although, at the last,the two men remained on ostensibly amicable termsof social intercourse, the feeling existent betweenthem was that of disapprobation on the part ofIrving and antipathy on the part of Mansfield. Itis necessary to allude to tliis subject, because thoseactors, eventually, became professionally opposed,. HENRY IRVING IN 1888 THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER 91 and because circumstances in the stage career ofMansfield would otherwise remain subject, furthermore, is an essential part oftheatrical history,—a record which should tell thetruth, and not be encumbered with sentimentaleulogium and obscuration of facts. Mansfield hadno reason to blame any one but himself for the lossof Henry Irvings active friendship. It was aninfirmity of his mind that he ascribed every mishap,every untoward circumstance, every reverse of for-tune, to some external, malign influence,—never toany accident, or any error of his judgment, or anyill-considered act or word, or any fault of his , when the total result of his Londonventures had proved disastrous to him, as by andby it did, he accounted for it by adopting the fan-tastic, ridiculous notion that Irving, out of jealousy,had, from the first, intended to ruin him
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