From my childhood's hour I dreamed of the great York Theatre--dreamed of
it literally thrice. Fatal Vision! But like other dreams, that dream
would have faded--been forgotten in the workday world--and I should not
have fallen into the sere and yellow, but have had, as formerly, troops
of friends, and not been reduced to the horrors of poverty and a faithful
Hag. But, sir, when I first took to my bosom that fiend William Waife,
he exhibited a genius, sir, that Dowton (you have seen Dowton?--grand)
was a stick as compared with. Then my ambition, sir, blazed and flared
up-obstreperous, and my childhood's dream haunted me; and I went about
musing [Hag, you recollect!]--and muttering 'The Royal Theatre at York.'
But, incredible though it seem, the ungrateful scorpion left me with a
treacherous design to exhibit the parts I had fostered on the London
boards; and even-handed Justice, sir, returned the poisoned chalice to
his lips, causing him to lose an eye and to hobble--besides splitting up
his voice--which served him right. And again I took the scorpion for the
sake of the Phenomenon. I had a babe myself once, sir, though you may
not think it. Gormerick (that is this faithful Hag) gave the babe
Daffy's Elixir, in teething; but it died--convulsions. I comforted
myself when that Phenomenon came out on my stage--in pink satin and
pearls. 'Ha,' I said, 'the great York Theatre shall yet be mine!' The
haunting idea became a Mania, sir. The learned say that there is a Mania
called Money Mania--[Monomania??]--when one can think but of the one
thing needful--as the guilty Thane saw the dagger, sir--you understand.
And when the Phenomenon had vanished and gone, as I was told, to America,
where I now wish I was myself, acting Rolla at New York or elsewhere, to
a free and enlightened people--then, sir, the Mania grew on me still
stronger and stronger. There was a pride in it, sir, a British pride.

"I said to this faithful Hag: 'What--shall I not have the York because
that false child has deserted me? Am I not able to realise a Briton's