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[ Aetat. 34-36 ] J O Y C E 423work of English translation for the review, 'Just see what a good thinghas happened: Joyce has been given a thousand francs a month by a richlady.' Shortly afterwards Palmer ran into Joyce and congratulated himeffusively, but Joyce, who by this time had recovered his reserve, merelyremarked, it's high time.' 62He dropped some of his lessons, as he usuallydid when money came in, and was seen more and more often at thePfauen Cafe.Claud Sykes, having heard of Joyce's good fortune, came to him witha new plan for doubling it; he suggested they form a troupe to produceplays in English. The consul-general had encouraged him to expect atleast semi-official support for such a venture, since Zurich had plays inevery language but English. Joyce had much to do, but he was alwaysready to be diverted, knowing that no diversions could seriously affect hissecret discipline. So he agreeably said, 'Why not?' They formed a partnership,Sykes to be producer and director, Joyce, as ex-banker, ex-moviemagnate,and ex-agent for Irish tweeds, to be business manager of thenew company, which at his suggestion was named the English Players. 63The enterprise had from the start a patriotic air; Joyce had received lettersfrom the consulate in 1916 and 1917, asking him if he would be willingto serve and ordering him in any event to report for a physical examination,and he had also received Edmund Gosse's hint that his Treasurygrant implied an obligation. This he expected now to discharge. He hadother motives too which were perhaps more prominent: he wished tosecure the production of Exiles, which was accordingly listed as one ofthe plays in the company's repertoire. Another object, which Sykes unpretentiouslyshared, was to make some money in an exciting way. If thenotion of creating pro-British propaganda in Switzerland was ever a strongone—and it was not really—it was quickly dissipated. He eventually stirredup anti-British propaganda instead.Sykes proposed that the first play should be Wilde's The Importance ofBeing Earnest, and Joyce seconded the plan of beginning with a play byan Irishman. 'To me,' he told Sykes, 'an Irish safety pin is more importantthan an English epic.' 64He threw himself into this project with thesame fervor that he had displayed in 1909 for the Volta Theatre, andwould display in 1930 for John Sullivan's operatic career. He persuadedseveral professional actors to accept small fees with the understanding thatthese would be increased if the theater gained a foothold. He persuadedhis pupils and their friends to buy tickets, whether or not they had succeededin learning English from him. In the course of making thesearrangements he visited A. Percy Bennett, the consul-general. Bennettwas annoyed with Joyce for not having reported to the consulate officiallyto offer his services in wartime, and was perhaps aware of Joyce's workfor the neutralist International Review of Feilbogen and of his open indifferenceto the war's outcome. He may even have heard of Joyce's versionof'Mr. Dooley,' written about this time: