MRS. SIDDONS AS QUEEN KATHARINE, ETC. 69 



A great and affecting burst of affection and interest, as if she had 

 already almost identified him with her son, or adopted him to supply 

 the loss. 



Answering Norval, who assures her that he will never be 

 unworthy of the favour shown him, Lady Randolph says : 



/ will be sworn thou wilt not. Thou shalt be my knight. 



The words printed in italics were underlined by Professor 

 Bell. 



Lady Randolph explains to her confidante that while Norval 

 spoke she thought that, had the son of Douglas lived, he might 

 have resembled this young gallant stranger. 



Professor Bell writes : 



It is this she has been acting during the preceding scene. 



There are no further notes on this play, nothing to guide us 

 as to the manner in which Mrs. Siddons said the famous c Was 

 he alive ? ' when a certain old man describes the finding of her 

 infant son, who turns out to be Norval. 



When we read Home's ' Douglas ' we may feel a certain 

 interest in our ancestors who liked it, but Moore's ' Gamester ' 

 awakens a feeling of loathing which extends even to the 

 audience which can endure the degrading spectacle. The 

 character of Lady Randolph is far from noble : this woman, who 

 deceives her parents and husband, who lost her child and held 

 her tongue, who has maundered through life for twenty years 

 nursing her melancholy and despising all good things present, 

 because they are not better things past, belongs to no heroic 

 type. 



We cannot admire her indifference to the excellent husband 

 who after twenty years of married life still sues in vain for 



Decent affection and complacent kindness. 



But Lady Randolph's well-bred coldness is preferable to Mrs. 

 Beverley's form of love. Says Mrs. Beverley : c All may be 

 well yet. When he has nothing to lose, I shall fetter him in 

 these arms again ; and then what is it to be poor ? ' Professor 

 Bell adds : 



Such a speech as this the wonderful voice of Mrs. Siddons and 

 her speaking eye make very affecting. 



