He returned to London on the following morning, carrying copies of the
_Cottenham Daily Post_ and the _Cottenham Mercury_ with him.
The notices of his play were mildly appreciative ... that of the
_Post_ being so mild as to be almost denunciatory. The critic
asserted that John's play, while interesting, showed that its author
had no real understanding of the meaning of tragedy. He found no
evidence in _Milchu and St. Patrick_ that John appreciated the
importance of the pressure of the Significant Event. The Significant
Event decided the development of a tragedy, but in Mr. MacDermott's
play there was no Significant Event. The play just happened, so to
speak, and it ought not to "just happen." It was an excellent discursus
on the drama from the time of the morality plays to the time of the
Irish Players, and it included references to Euripides, Ibsen, the Noh
plays of Japan, Mr. Bernard Shaw (in a patronising manner), Synge and
Mr. Masefield; but John felt, when he had read it, that most of it had
been written before its author had seen his play. The other notice was
less learned, but it left no doubt in the mind of the readers that
although _Milchu and St. Patrick_ was an interesting piece ... the
word "interesting," after he had read these notices, seemed to John to
be equivalent to the word "poor" ... it was not likely to mark any
epochs.
"I don't think much of Cottenham anyhow!" said John, putting, the
papers in his pocket.
Eleanor met him at Euston. The fatigue which settles on a traveller in
the last hour of a long railway journey had raised the devil of
depression in John. He had reread the notices in the Cottenham papers,
and as he considered their very restrained praises of his play, he
remembered that Hinde had said _The Enchanted Lover_ was an
ordinary novel.
"I wonder am I any good," he said to himself as the train hauled itself
into Euston.
He looked out of the window and saw Eleanor standing on the platform,
scanning the carriage as she sought for him.
"Well, she thinks I am," he thought, as he alighted from the train.
"Eleanor!" he called to her, and she turned and when she saw him, her
eyes lit and she hurried to him.