The Vagabond Clown Read Online Free PDF

sake of it.’
    ‘Not if he is kept under control,’ argued Nicholas.
    ‘No theatre company has so far managed that feat.’
    ‘I believe it to be within our compass.’
    Hoode was curious. ‘Why do you say that, Nick?’
    ‘For two main reasons. The first is simple gratitude. Every actor would rather be working than kicking his heels. Giddy Mussett is no exception. He would make an effort to show his gratitude to us. The second reason,’ said Nicholas, ‘is that we would be much more vigilant than some of our rivals. Let him out of our sight and he would surely go astray. Bind him to a contract of good behaviour and we may have a different result.’
    ‘It sounds as if it is at least worth trying.’
    ‘I believe so, Edmund.’
    ‘So do I,’ added Elias. ‘Giddy is our man.’
    Firethorn was sceptical. ‘Something tells me that we are courting disaster here.’
    ‘Not if we lay down strict rules,’ said Nicholas.
    ‘Mussett would not recognise a rule if it recited the Catechism at him. Besides, you are forgetting something, Nick. We seek a substitute for Barnaby and he would never allow Giddy Mussett to take his place. They are sworn enemies.’
    ‘Need we
tell
Barnaby?’ asked Elias.
    ‘He would never forgive us if we did not.’
    ‘True.’
    ‘In any case,’ said Firethorn, ‘
we
might stay silent but the truth would surely get back to him by some means. Giddy Mussett would make certain that it did. Nothing would content him more than to profit at Barnaby’s expense. He’d crow like chanticleer and do his best to oust him altogether.’
    ‘That would never happen,’ said Nicholas. ‘Mussett would only be engaged as a hired man for as long as we required. It would be made clear at the start.’
    ‘I side with Nick,’ decided Hoode. ‘Giddy Mussett is our only hope.’
    ‘He gets my vote as well,’ said Elias.
    ‘Give him
your
blessing, Lawrence.’
    Firethorn downed the remainder of his wine in one loud gulp and pondered. Nicholas exchanged glances with the other two then waited for a response from the man with the real power in the company. Unless Firethorn could be persuaded, they would have to look elsewhere for a clown.
    ‘I do not like the idea,’ said Firethorn at length.
    Nicholas was blunt. ‘Suggest a better one and we’ll gladly accept it.’
    ‘Mussett is too troublesome a bedfellow.’
    ‘Do not be misled by his reputation.’
    ‘And what of Barnaby? He’ll be mortified.’
    ‘He’ll come to see that we made the only choice possible,’ said Nicholas. ‘Granted, the two men share an intense hatred but only because they are keen rivals. Beneath their hatred is a deep respect for each other’s skills.’
    ‘That will only make Barnaby green with envy.’
    ‘Which would you rather have, Lawrence?’ asked Hoode. ‘A green and resentful Barnaby or a pallid clown who makes a mockery of every comedy that we stage?’
    ‘Edmund is right,’ said Elias. ‘We are in a quandary and there is but one way out of it. Bear this in mind. We make the decision – not Barnaby.’
    Firethorn stroked his beard thoughtfully. ‘Mussett is certainly a fine singer,’ he conceded, ‘and he is as vigorous as any man in a dance. Of his comic skills, there is no doubt. My worries concern his private habits.’
    The Welshman chuckled. ‘We all have those, Lawrence.’
    ‘Employ the fellow and we may imperil the whole company.’
    ‘That’s a risk I’m prepared to take.’
    ‘There’s no risk if we keep Mussett on a tight rein,’ asserted Nicholas, wishing to bring the discussion to a close. ‘That will be my task. I’ll answer for our new clown.’
    Firethorn was still unconvinced. ‘I have grave reservations,’ he confessed. ‘Besides, we do not even know that he will accept a place with us.’
    ‘Oh, I assure you that he’ll accept anything that’s offered to him.’
    ‘How can you be so confident of that, Nick?’
    ‘Because I took the liberty of finding out where he