It is an instance of my mother's spasmodic indulgence of me that I was allowed to appear in public wearing a wreath of roses and a green tulle dress in a show that was in no other way transvestite. The play was not being acted solely by the boys of the school. My sister had a walk-on part and a Miss Benmore, draped in mauve chiffon, sat in the middle of the stage on a seat that at home was called the "rug box" and usually stood in our hall. I danced myself silly but only when I fought with another fairy for a place that I felt was really mine did the applause become as loud and sincere as I felt it should be.

The London actor had evidently played Bottom in more senses than one, for next day he was seen by my sister on Sutton station in handcuffs. Later, the headmaster of my brother's school telephoned my mother and begged her not to let any of us see the local papers. The actor had been charged with seducing one of the boys. I was too young to know that I had lived a little while.