How would you describe Jimmie Langton? Dwell upon his looks and typical behavior. What were the circumstances of Jimmie and Julia’s acquaintance?

Jimmy Langton, a fat, bald, red-cheeked man of forty-five, like one of the wealthy burghers of Rubens, adored the theater. He was eccentric, arrogant, full of boiling energy, vain and irresistible. He loved to play, but his external data suited for very few roles, since he was a bad actor. He could not temper his inherent expansiveness, and although he carefully studied and thought about his role, they all turned into a grotesque. He exaggerated every gesture, overly emphasized every word. But when he led a rehearsal with the troupe - is another matter, then he could not bear any hypocrisy.

When Julia turned sixteen and she went to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art on Gover Street, she already knew a lot of what was taught there. She had to get rid of some of the tricks that looked old-fashioned, and become accustomed to a more conversational manner of performance. But she took first place in all the contests in which she participated, and as soon as she finished school, almost immediately received, thanks to her excellent French, a small maid role in one of London's theaters.

For a time, it seemed that her knowledge of French would condemn her only to those roles that require a foreign accent, since she was followed by an Austrian waitress after the French maid. Two years passed before Jimmy Langton discovered her. Julia toured the provinces with a melodrama, well received in London, as an Italian adventurer, whose intrigues eventually turn out to be revealed; she tried, without much success, to portray a forty year old woman.

As the leading actress, a blonde of mature age, played a young girl, the whole show was not believable. Jimmy gave himself a short vacation, which he spent visiting theater after theater, in different cities. After the end of the play, he went backstage to meet Julia. Jimmy was famous enough in theater circles for him to be flattered by her compliments, and when he invited her the next day for lunch, Julia agreed.