“Certainly, Monsieur; and I even promise to make of this scene, which I find very beautiful, an enormous success!” He shrugged his shoulders rudely, muttering something very disagreeable between his teeth. When I left the theatre I found poor Bornier quite transfigured. He thanked me a thousand times, for he thought very highly of this scene, and he dared not thwart Emile Augier. Both Perrin and myself had divined the legitimate emotions of this poor poet, so gentle and so well bred, but a trifle Jesuitical. The play was an immense success. But the window scene on the first night was a veritable triumph. It was a short time after the terrible war of 1870. The play contained frequent allusions to it, and owing to the patriotism of the public made an even greater success than it deserved as a play. I sent for Emile Augier. He came to my dressing-room with a surly air, and said to me from the door: “So much the worse for the public! It only proves that the public is idiotic to make a success of such vileness!” And he disappeared without having even entered my dressing-room. [Illustration: LIBRARY IN SARAH BERNHARDT’S HOUSE, PARIS ] His outburst made me laugh, and as the triumphant Bornier had embraced me repeatedly, I scratched myself all over. Two months later I played _Gabrielle_, by this same Augier, and I had incessant quarrels with him. I found the verses of this play execrable. Coquelin, who took the part of my husband, made a great success. As for me, I was as mediocre as the play itself, which is saying a great deal. I had been appointed a Sociétaire in the month of January, and since then it seemed to me that I was in prison, for I had undertaken an engagement not to leave the House of Molière for many years. This idea made me sad. It was at Perrin’s instigation that I had asked to become a Sociétaire, and now I regretted it very much. During all the latter part of the year I only played occasionally.