ABSTRACT
Irving was now accepted by the fashionable as well as by the populace. He had become a figure in society. The man who for so long had been an unknown touring actor was described as one of the best known men in London. He did not underplay his off-stage appearance. He wore his dark hair long, he walked the streets with lengthy strides, a dreamy, absent manner adding to his artistic image. His cheeks were thin and wan, and round his tall, spare figure his stylish clothes clung with a negligent air. He may have been lionised by the fashionable givers of breakfasts, dinners, and receptions, but he himself was happier with his old friends, talking long into the night about the mysterious workings of the profession he knew and loved.
