them gold." Reade's complaint was that his plunderers found his work gold and left it lead.
'Tis quite true that he utilized Macquet's "Le Pauvre de Paris" in "Hard Cash;" 'tis also true that he adapted his novel of "White Lies" and his drama of "The Double Marriage" from the same author's "Le Château Grantier;" it is equally true that he founded "Drink" upon Zola's "L'Assommoir;" but in each and every one of these instances he recognized the justice of the French authors' claim, by obtaining their consent and paying them a liberal commission for the right to utilize their works.
I may here remark, with reference to his dramatization of the late Mr. Anthony Trollope's "Ralph the Heir," which was resented by that gentleman as a great grievance, that Mr. Reade assured me—first, that from their intimate friendship he did not think it necessary to ask Trollope's permission to dramatize the work, and indeed, had he deemed it requisite, he could not communicate with him during his absence in Australia; second, that Trollope never attempted nor signified an intention of dramatizing or reserving the right to dramatize any of his works; third, that he (Reade) compiled the comedy for their mutual benefit and emolument. Undoubtedly, Mr. Trollope had a "right to do what he liked with his own," although one can scarcely understand the feeling which prompted him to resent as a wrong what most men would have considered a compliment, emanating from such a source. I am under the impression that although Reade persistently pressed Trollope to receive half the royalties accruing from the representation of this comedy, he with equal persistency refused to accept Reade's proposal. The latter assured me that after this they frequently took part in a game of whist at the club without exchanging one word with each other. To Reade's sensitive mind this estrangement was a great grief,—a grief which was afterward enhanced by Trollope's posthumous attack in his autobiography on his old friend.
To return to "Foul Play." After acting it five or six weeks at Leeds, we took it to Manchester, and subsequently to all the great provincial theatres, where it invariably attracted crowded houses. Notwithstanding its success in the country, the doors of all the London theatres were closed against us, in consequence of the failure of Boucicault's previous adaptation. It was therefore arranged between Reade and myself that I should go to America to produce this and other plays. It was essential for me to set sail on a particular day, so as to anticipate the action of certain transatlantic pirates who had stolen a copy of our play. My baggage was in Liverpool, my berth secured, when an accident prevented my sailing. I had to attach my signature to the lease of one of my theatres. Fortunately for me, the document was not ready; inasmuch as upon the production of the piece in New York a curious exchange of civilities took place. I forget the exact circumstances, save that I know revolvers were introduced and used pretty freely and two or three people were killed and others wounded. On the whole, I did not regret my absence on that interesting occasion.
Abandoning altogether the projected tour to America, I suggested to Mr. Reade the subject of the Sheffield outrages for a story, and a drama with a part in it which I thought especially adapted to my method and resources. He accepted the suggestion, and we went over to Sheffield together, where I introduced him to Mr. Lang, the courageous journalist ("Holdfast") through whose initiative, and the indomitable pluck of the late Mr. Roebuck, the parliamentary commission was obtained by means of which the perpetrators of the atrocities were unearthed. Before leaving the town, we interviewed the miscreant afterward introduced into the story as Grotait, and went to his public-house to make certain sketches; we also visited the scenes of the various outrages, so as to provide ourselves with
