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Whenever he did so, a number of energetic youths, salaried for the purpose, were distributed among the audience as claqueurs the words actually used for them being perhaps translatable as "boomers" or "rattlers."
"It is evident," said Lemaitre to himself, "that people who admire my acting fear being mistaken for hired claqueurs if they express their enthusiasm. I must arrange that." He therefore quietly caused to be planted a few judicious claqueurs about the house at his own expense, and that night bravos and hand-clappings were bestowed on Lemaitre alone. This suited the actor's notions to a nicety.
"Oh! oh! oh!" began a few of Harpour's claqueurs, and the chorus was again swelled by a score of others. "I repeat it of deliberate, diabolical cruelty, chosen just because there was nothing more cruel they dared to do.
The only applause came from Camusot's box, and various persons posted in the balcony and galleries silenced Camusot with repeated cries of "Hush!" The galleries even silenced the claqueurs when they led off with exaggerated salvos. Martainville applauded bravely; Nathan, Merlin, and the treacherous Florine followed his example; but it was clear that the piece was a failure.
"But Braulard is an epicure," said Lousteau; "his dinners are famous in dramatic literature, and they are what you might expect from his cash-box." "I have good wine," Braulard replied modestly. "Ah! here are my lamplighters," he added, as a sound of hoarse voices and strange footsteps came up from the staircase. Lucien on his way down saw a march past of claqueurs and retailers of tickets.
This never happens in England, partly because every 'first night' is attended by a claque, judiciously posted and naturally well disposed. Not that these 'first-nighters' are paid to applaud, as in Paris or Vienna. Neither are they labelled as claqueurs.
My lord led this hostile demonstration and all his hired claqueurs joined in. She was ruined; ruined!" concluded Susan, smiling amiably. "You are ingenious, Mistress Susan not to say a trifle diabolical. Your plan " She opened her eyes widely. "I have suggested no plan," she interrupted, hurriedly.
Braulard has been going through the play with her while you were asleep." "Who? Braulard?" asked Lucien; it seemed to him that he had heard the name before. "He is the head of the claqueurs, and she was arranging with him the places where she wished him to look after her. Florine might try to play her some shabby trick, and take all for herself, for all she calls herself her friend.
The public in front sees unexpected or well-deserved success, and applauds; the public does not see the preparations, ugly as they always are, the painted supers, the claqueurs hired to applaud, the stage carpenters, and all that lies behind the scenes. You are still among the audience.
When Thea bowed and returned to her seat at the back of the stage there was the usual applause, but it was vigorous only from the back of the house where the Mexicans sat, and from Ray Kennedy's CLAQUEURS. Any one could see that a good-natured audience had been bored. Because Mr. Kronborg's sister was on the programme, it had also been necessary to ask the Baptist preacher's wife's cousin to sing.
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