a theatrical watchdog

from british library flickr 

English actor/manager Cyril Maude wrote a book of theater reminisces in 1928.  Here's what he recalls about working with Sir Charles Wyndham  - and his well-trained sidekick - in the play "Money."

. . . We rehearsed day after day for a month. Wyndham always brought a tiresome little dog to rehearsal. It kept running about all over the place and getting in people's way, and generally annoying everybody. One day (Sir Herbert) Tree, Irene Vanbrugh and I were standing watching the little dog and I said to them, "I suppose you know that little dog has been trained by Lady Wyndham to watch over Sir Charles, and in case he speaks longer to any particular lady than he ought to the little dog gets hold of him by the ankle just to remind him of Lady Wyndham!" They both laughed at the idea, and then Irene looked up sweetly in Sir Herbert's face and said, "And do tell me, Sir Herbert, has Lady Tree trained a little dog to watch over your goings on?" Tree gazed up at the ceiling of Drury Lane Theater and, stroking his locks, said, "Ah—it died from want of sleep!"

-- from Cyril Maude (1928) Lest I forget: being the reminiscences of social & dramatic life in England & America. New York: J. H. Sears & company, inc.. 228-9