She was fond of referring to herself as an example of this.

When appearing as a tragedy queen, after draining a goblet of poison on the stage, her bowels had been on fire all night.

Nevertheless she was given to saying: "The dramatic art is an imitative art, and one imitates an emotion all the better for not having experienced it." And to illustrate this maxim she drew yet further examples from her triumphant career.
She gave a deep sigh.
"The child is admirably gifted.

But she is to be pitied; she has been born into a bad period.

There is no longer a public nowadays; no critics, no plays, no theatres, no artists.