de Girardin was Cléopâtre; but not all the efforts of the Rue de Chaillot clique were sufficient to breathe a temporary vitality into its high-sounding, artificial verses. Rachel wrote to Madame de Girardin on the 13th December 1847:—
No, I am not actually ill, but, unfortunately, not as strong as I could wish. It is not true that I do not intend to act any more; but, as I cannot act what I would like to, I would rather leave the stage than appear in any other rule than Cléopâtre, and I am sure, dear Madame de Girardin, you do not doubt my word when I tell you that I have not energy enough to give your fine rôle as it ought to be given. As to all the small intrigues of the theatre, you and I (permit me to associate my name with yours) ought to place ourselves far above them. Do not write to M. Buloz, and, perhaps, in time we may be able to prove to the public that a really beautiful and fine work can always triumph over the small intrigues that seek to drag it down.
Thus Cléopâtre was abandoned after fourteen representations.
In spite of these repeated failures, Rachel accepted another piece from Madame de Girardin, and appeared in the part of Lady Tartuffe at the Français on the 14th February 1853. The authoress of La Joie fait peur had found a more fitting field for her talent in this drama, representing the social life of the day, than in her endeavour to treat tragic subjects. Rachel never liked the part, although she is said to have been better in it than in any other attempted by her in modern drama. The rôle of the Duke d'Estigny was played by her old teacher Samson, and "their perfect understanding, long habit of studying together, and knowledge of each other's powers, produced," we are told, "a result nearly amounting to perfection." The first night, the capricious young actress acted it so coldly that Madame de Girardin could hardly bring herself to be civil to her.
