Meeting Mr. Pinter Again

One of the rewards of performing in a more central locality was that such wonderful people came round to my dressing-room after the show.

One such was Harold Pinter. I was introduced to him more than ten years ago. Someone who then lived in the same house as I . . . sent him a copy of my autobiography drawing his attention to the page on which his fair name was mentioned. This led to a visit from Mr. Pinter to our house to meet old friends whom he had known when he was a touring actor. . . Some time later he invited me to a party in the days when he still lived in Hanover Terrace.

With few facial movements and no gestures of the hands, he gives an impression of stillness and great density of character. It is possible to imagine situations in which he would be absolutely, even unreasonably, implacable but to me, he has always been more than polite.

After hearing me at the Duke of York's Theater, Mr. Pinter took Lady Antonia Fraser, two other guests and me to supper. When someone remarked that at last the world seemed to have accepted me, our host added 'And about time too.'