THE MECCAS OF THE WORLD ANNE WARWICK BOOKS BY ANNE WARWICK _COMPENSATION_ _$1.30 net_ _THE UNKNOWN WOMAN_ _$1.30 net_ JOHN LANE COMPANY PUBLISHERS NEW YORK [Illustration: _Underwood & Underwood_ AN AMERICAN ALLEGORY: FIVE HUNDRED FEET ABOVE HIS SKYSCRAPER, AND STILL CLIMBING!] THE MECCAS OF THE WORLD THE PLAY OF MODERN LIFE IN NEW YORK, PARIS, VIENNA, MADRID AND LONDON BY ANNE WARWICK AUTHOR OF “THE UNKNOWN WOMAN,” “COMPENSATION,” ETC. [Illustration] NEW YORK JOHN LANE COMPANY MCMXIII COPYRIGHT, 1913, BY JOHN LANE COMPANY TO MY FATHER CONTENTS PART I IN REHEARSAL (New York) CHAPTER PAGE I. The Cast 3 II. Convenience vs. Culture 16 III. Off Duty 30 IV. Miss New York, Jr. 44 V. Matrimony & Co. 59 PART II THE CURTAIN RISES (Paris) I. On the Great Artiste 77 II. On Her Everyday Performance 90 III. And Its Sequel 107 PART III THE CHILDREN’S PERFORMANCE (Vienna) I. The Playhouse 127 II. The Players Who Never Grow Old 139 III. The Fairy Play 153 PART IV THE BROKEN-DOWN ACTOR (Madrid) I. His Corner Apart 173 II. His Arts and Amusements 187 III. One of His Big Scenes 205 IV. His Foibles and Finenesses 215 PART V IN REVIEW (London) I. The Critics 235 II. The Judgment 248 ILLUSTRATIONS AN AMERICAN ALLEGORY _Frontispiece_ FACING PAGE AFTERNOON PARADE ON FIFTH AVENUE 10 A PATCH OF THE CRAZY QUILT 14 “NEW YORK’S FINEST.” 30 AMERICAN WOMAN GOES TO WAR 58 THE TRIUMPHANT “THIRD SEX” TAKES WASHINGTON 66 OPEN-AIR BALL ON THE 14TH JULY 82 L’HEURE DU RENDEZ-VOUS 110 THE SOUL OF OLD SPAIN 173 THE QUEEN OF SPAIN AND PRINCE OF ASTURIAS 184 FAIR ENTHUSIASTS AT THE BULL-FIGHT 190 THE SUPREME MOMENT 192 A TYPICAL POSTURE OF THE SPANISH DANCE 204 THE ROYAL FAMILY OF SPAIN AFTER A CHAPEL SERVICE 210