The next piece I saw represented was the _Avare_ of Molière, which to me
was one of the greatest dramatic treats I had ever witnessed. Every part
was well supported. The next was _Athalie_ of Racine. Here too I was highly
gratified. Mlle Georges performed the part of Athalie and gave me the
perfect ideal of the haughty Queen. Her narration of the dream was given
with the happiest effect, and in her attempt to conceal her uneasiness and
her affected contempt of the dream in these lines:

Un songe, me devrois--je inquiéter d'un songe?

she seemed in reality to labour under all the anxiety and fatigue arising
from it. That fine scene between Joad and Joas was well given, and the
little girl who did the part of Joas performed with a good deal of spirit.
The actor who played Joad recited in a most impressive manner the advice to
the young prince terminating in these lines:

Vous souvenant, mon fils, que caché sous ce lin,
Comme eux vous fûtes pauvre et comme eux orphelin.

The interrogating scene between Athalie and Joad was given spiritedly, but
the rather abrupt and uncourtierlike reply to the Queen's remark, "Ils sont
deux puissans dieux"--"Lui seul est dieu, Madame, et le vôtre n'est rien"--
excited a laugh and I fancy never fails to do so, every time the piece is
performed.

Racine has several passages in his tragedies which perhaps have rather too
much _naiveté_ for the dignity of the cothurnus; for instance in the answer
of Agamemnon to Achille in the tragedy of _Iphigénie_: