In the month of March, 1873, Perrin took it into his head to stage “Dalila,” by Octave Feuillet. I was then taking the part of young girls, young princesses, or young boys. My slight frame, my pale face, my delicate aspect marked me out, for the time being, for the rôle of victim. When suddenly Perrin, finding that the victims attracted the pity of the public, and thinking that it was for this reason I pleased them, made the most ridiculous change in the distribution of the parts; he gave me the rôle of _Dalila_, the swarthy, wicked, and ferocious princess, and to Sophie Croizette he gave the rôle of the fair young dying girl. The piece, under this strange distribution, was turned upside down. I forced my nature in order to appear the haughty and voluptuous siren; I stuffed my bodice with wadding, and the hips under my skirt with horsehair; but I kept my small, thin, sorrowful face. Croizette was obliged to repress the advantages of her bust by bands which oppressed and suffocated her, but she kept her pretty plump face with its dimples. I was obliged to put on a strong voice, she to soften hers. In fact, it was absurd, and the piece was only a partial success. After that I created “L’Absent,” a pretty piece in verse by Eugène Manuel, “Chez l’Avocat,” a very amusing thing in verse, by Paul Ferrier, where Coquelin and I quarreled beautifully. Then, August 22d, I played with immense success the rôle of _Andromaque_. I shall never forget the first performance, in which Mounet-Sully obtained a delirious triumph. Oh, how fine he was, Mounet-Sully, in his rôle of _Oreste_! His entrance, his fury, his madness, and the plastic beauty of this marvelous _artiste_—how fine it was! How magnificent! After _Andromaque_ I played _Aricie_ in “Phedre”; and that evening in this secondary rôle, it was I who obtained, in reality, the success of the evening.