The drawbacks to theatres which have the monopoly of a great actor--Lafond takes the rôle of Pierre de Portugal upon Talma declining it--Lafond--His school--His sayings--Mademoiselle Duchesnois--Her failings and her abilities-_Pierre de Portugal_ succeeds CHAPTER VI General Riégo--His attempted insurrection--His escape and flight--He is betrayed by the brothers Lara--His trial--His execution CHAPTER VII The inn of the _Tête-Noire_--Auguste Ballet--Castaing--His trial--His attitude towards the audience and his words to the jury--His execution CHAPTER VIII Casimir Delavigne--An appreciation of the man and of the poet-- The origin of the hatred of the old school of literature for the new--Some reflections upon _Marino Faliero_ and the _Enfants d'Édouard_--Why Casimir Delavigne was more a comedy writer than a tragic poet--Where he found the ideas for his chief plays CHAPTER IX Talma in the _École des Vieillards_--One of his letters--Origin of his name and of his family--_Tamerlan_ at the pension Verdier--Talma's début--Dugazon's advice--More advice from Shakespeare--Opinions of the critics of the day upon the débutant--Talma's passion for his art THE MEMOIRS OF ALEXANDRE DUMAS BOOK I CHAPTER I An unpublished chapter from the _Diable boiteux_--History of Samud and the beautiful Doña Lorenza About a fortnight after that wonderful night, during which I had experienced such new and unknown emotions, I was busy in Maître Mennesson's office,--as Niguet was absent seeing after a marriage settlement at Pisseleu, and Ronsin had gone to collect debts at Haramont,--sadly engrossing a copy of a deed of sale, when M. Lebègue, a colleague of my patron, entered the office and, after gazing at me with an amused expression on his face, went into the next room, which was the private office, and took a seat by the side of Maître Mennesson. The cause of my sadness shall be discovered presently. Maître Mennesson's door, which separated the two offices, I was generally left open, so that he could answer our questions, save when a client closed it to discuss private matters with him; and when this door was left open, we could hear in our office everything that was said in M. Mennesson's room, as he could hear in his office all that went on in ours.