." The critics
described, as the crowning effort of her performance, the energy and
pathos and abandonment of her appeal to Aldabella, when the wife
sacrifices her pride, and sinks, "huddled into a heap," at the feet of
her rival, imploring her to save the life of Fazio. Miss Cushman,
speaking of her first performance in London, was wont to relate how
she was so completely overcome, not only by the excitement of the
scene, but by the nervous agitation of the occasion, that she lost for
the moment her self-command, and was especially grateful for the
long-continued applause which gave her time to recover herself. When
she slowly rose at last and faced the house again, the spectacle of
its enthusiasm thrilled and impressed her in a manner she could never
forget. The audience were standing; some had mounted on the benches;
there was wild waving of hats and handkerchiefs, a storm of cheering,
great showering of bouquets.

Her second character in London was Lady Macbeth, to the Macbeth of
Edwin Forrest; but the American actor failed to please, and the
audience gave free expression to their discontent. Greatly disgusted,
Forrest withdrew, deluding himself with the belief that he was the
victim of a conspiracy. Miss Cushman's success knew no abatement. She
played a round of parts, assisted by James Wallack, Leigh Murray, and
Mrs. Stirling, appearing now as Rosalind, now as Juliana in "The
Honeymoon," as Mrs. Haller, as Beatrice, as Julia in "The Hunchback."
Her second season was even more successful than her first. After a
long provincial tour she appeared in December, 1845, as Romeo at the
Haymarket Theatre, then under the management of Mr. Webster, her
sister Susan assuming the character of Juliet. She had sent for her
family to share her prosperity, and had established them in a
furnished house at Bayswater.

Her success as Romeo was very great. The tragedy was played for eighty
nights. Her performance won applause even from those most opposed to
the representation of Shakespeare's hero by a woman. For a time her
intense earnestness of speech and manner, the passion of her
interviews with Juliet, the fury of her combat with Tybalt, the
despair of her closing scenes, bore down all opposition, silenced
criticism, and excited her audience to an extraordinary degree. She
appeared afterward, but not in London, as Hamlet, following an
unfortunate example set by Mrs. Siddons; and as Ion in Talfourd's
tragedy of that name.

In