Audio
Recording

ss7220

I'll tell you a very odd story although its nothing to do with the script, on Mary Barrie. It's an extraordinary story in its way. It was late 1924, 1923. And Barrie at this stage, I call him Barrie, I always called him Uncle Jim, now that I'm talking to you, at this stage each summer we were at Stanwin in Gloucestershire. I ran this cricket club. One of my dearest friends was, in beside, was Rumpford. He died of meningitis at the age of about nineteen. This was just before our cricket was going to start. We were going to have his funeral in a place called Stoke, somewhere in Bedfordshire. Somewhere near Eton. I don't quite remember where. Anyway, I said to Uncle Jim, I am going up to this funeral, I don't suppose you'd like to come would you? He said yes I would. I said I'll drive you over. That's a good idea, will you quite avoid Broadway which was a village 5 miles away from us. In Gloucestershire. I said yes that shouldn't be any difficulty about that. I snaked around Broadway. This church where we had a very sad service. And then coming back I lost my way and finally found I was going through Broadway. And as we were going through Broadway, I saw woman walking along the street. And I said Uncle Jim, look! See that woman, I know we must've seen her before. I know I've seen her face somewhere before. And he was a superb actor in every point of view. And he said no I know, she doesn't mean anything to me. So I didn't think much more about it. And that evening Thurston (?) came to see in my room. He said, I gather you saw a woman in Broadway, do you know who it was? No idea at all. Well it was Mrs. Barrie. And I hadn't seen her since I was about 6 and I was about 22 or whatever it was. And how I recognized her I shall never know. And nor shall I ever get over the feeling in how fantastic Uncle Jim was in not saying anything. But he knew her straight away. And he knew Mary Barrie was there that day because Mary Barrie was trying to get back into his favors to a certain extent. Chiefly I would think financially but I don't know. Although he was extremely generous and kind to her. But she was there and he didn't want to see her and she was just sort of going to get to him as quick as she could and that's why he said keep away Broadway. It's an odd story. And this was how long after they divorced, separated? This was 16 years or so, quite a long time. Of course by that time she had broken away from Canaan. She was a most unlucky woman. Everything just went wrong. I wouldn't think she canopied. I just think she was exceptionally pretty, everybody says, and attractive, and how good of an actress I don't know. Probably not that good because one would've guessed she would've stuck with it. Of course I never saw her. Your impression as children was that she was very kind and social. She was very kind to us. And of course to my mother. And she was to everybody. It was just he wasn't interested. And presumably he was not interested sexually and I am convinced he had no sexual interest of any sort or kind, he was 100% neuter and 100% innocent I am absolutely convinced of it. But I don't know Barrie's feelings about it. I wonder how much she knew of it when she married him? If he was like that then, I suspect she knew then and was expected to get over it. Yes.